Happy Nowruz (Iranic New Year Kurdistan to Kyrgistan)

[Mejgusu]

I wish Happy Nevruz to all who celebrate it.

Btw, my father told me that they celebrated „Bahar Bayramı” when he was a child, but idk whether it was a traditional or state run celebration.

[Zoro]

It's celebrated mainly by people that were influenced by Persians. Central Asian Turks celebrate it cause of Persian influence. Anatolia wasn't as influenced by Persians so it didn't become popular there. Armenians also used to celebrate Nowruz cause of Persian influence. Indic Shias also celebrate Nowruz cause of Persian influence. Not all Pashtuns celebrate Nowruz either, only Shias and those in Afghanistan (likely cause of the Persian influence in Afghanistan on Pashtuns there). And the Nowruz celebrated by Afghanistani Pashtuns is said to be much tamer in comparison to that celebrated by ethnic Persians (Tajiks). Afghanistan didn't even used to have things like the Chaharshanbe Suri till Hazara refugees from Iran brought it back with them, and that tradition still isn't done by Central Asian Turks. There's also Hajji Firuz who's specific to Iranian Nowruz.

And the word Nowruz (as well as names of traditions within it like Chaharshanbe Suri, Haft-sin, etc.) are all words of specifically Persian origin. They're not native words in the languages of other cultures that celebrate Nowruz (Kurdish, Kazakh, Uzbek, Pashto, etc.) but Persian loanwords in those languages. So modern Nowruz seems to be just a Persian holiday that spread with Persian influence, not Pan-Turkic or even Pan-Iranian. I think its likely that all Iranic people had a similar holiday ("Spring New Year") many centuries ago, but then they died out and got replaced with the local Persian variation. Those other variants that died out may have been similar to the Iranian/Persian version (or maybe even very different, not sure). But Nowruz is basically just a celebration of the arrival of Spring, which is common in countless cultures. The Indian version of it is Holi and the Chinese New Year is basically the Chinese version. The native Turkic equivalent to Nowruz is called Yılgayak, which isn't celebrated by Turks anymore.

Although festivals celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of Spring and growing seasons may have predated specifically Nowruz. Nowruz was given the highest importance among holidays by Zoroaster who was born in present day Afghanistan in Airyanem Vaejah which is located between the Helmand and the Hindu Kush around 2500 years ago. This is considered the homeland of early Iranians.

Today's Persians had not formed yet at that time just like today's Kurds and Pashtuns. Since today's Persians had not formed yet at that time we can say it was proto-Persian/Kurd/Pashtun etc. who gave importance to Nowruz. Some of those proto-Persian/Kurd/Pashtuns ofc included Parthians 2000 years ago and it does appear that Nowruz was their most important holiday also.

It seems that Nowruz was suppressed in more recent times in Pakistan by islamists but it's still celebrated in certain parts of Balochistan and I think maybe KPK


Edit:
There's also a subtle difference in tradition in how Kurds celebrate Nowruz. Kurds carry fire torches up the mountain (plenty of Youtube videos under Nowruz Kurdistan show this). I'm personally not aware of other Iranics that do this (correct me if I'm wrong). This type of tradition probably makes a stronger connection between Zoroaster and Kurds vs traditional spring festivals.

If I had to pick an Iranic group that's the strictest wrt women going out of the house,I would pick Pashtuns. You hardly see any women on the streets of Kandahar and some other Pashtun majority cities. This also puts a hamper on Nowruz celebrations by Pashtuns.

This nicely made video by a Kandahari Pashtun drama actor gives a good idea of how the streets of Kandahar. Are there any women to be seen anywhere on the streets ? Even though he should be well known in Kandahar I’m pretty sure he was even given a hard time by some guys for making the video

[RogueState]

Nowruz Mobarak !

[Zoro]

The 2021 videos are starting to role in

Iraq




Nowruz piruz bit in Kurdish means Nowruz mubarak

[Mingle]

Although festivals celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of Spring and growing seasons may have predated specifically Nowruz. Nowruz was given the highest importance among holidays by Zoroaster who was born in present day Afghanistan in Airyanem Vaejah which is located between the Helmand and the Hindu Kush around 2500 years ago. This is considered the homeland of early Iranians.

Today's Persians had not formed yet at that time just like today's Kurds and Pashtuns. Since today's Persians had not formed yet at that time we can say it was proto-Persian/Kurd/Pashtun etc. who gave importance to Nowruz. Some of those proto-Persian/Kurd/Pashtuns ofc included Parthians 2000 years ago and it does appear that Nowruz was their most important holiday also.

We can speculate about ancient history forever, but the current form of it is specifically Persian since words unique to Persian are used for Nowruz and the traditions within it.

It seems that Nowruz was suppressed in more recent times in Pakistan by islamists but it's still celebrated in certain parts of Balochistan and I think maybe KPK

No, it wasn't. It was never popular among Sunnis. Shias used to celebrate it before any supposed "suppression" happened and they still celebrate it today. East of Afghanistan, its a Shia holiday. If Sunnis don't celebrate it cause of Islamic suppression, then Shias wouldn't either. But not only do Sunnis not celebrate it, but there's no consciousness of it being celebrated by their parents, grandparents, etc. either. Shias do celebrate it, but only cause of Iranian/Persian influence.

[RogueState]

What's interesting it's how this celebration of Nowruz feast of Persian New Year, find his way through Ottoman Sufi traditions, and still today have people celebrating it among Sufi/Bektashi Balkan Muslims

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz8nTfwA9PI

[Zoro]

We can speculate about ancient history forever, but the current form of it is specifically Persian since words unique to Persian are used for Nowruz and the traditions within it.



No, it wasn't. It was never popular among Sunnis. Shias used to celebrate it before any supposed "suppression" happened and they still celebrate it today. East of Afghanistan, its a Shia holiday. If Sunnis don't celebrate it cause of Islamic suppression, then Shias wouldn't either. But not only do Sunnis not celebrate it, but there's no consciousness of it being celebrated by their parents, grandparents, etc. either. Shias do celebrate it, but only cause of Iranian/Persian influence.

Then perhaps culture is the bigger inhibitor amongst Pashtuns than Islam sect. In contrast to Pashtun majority cities, women in all areas of Iran are more free to leave the house and go out. Don’t you think that women being restricted to this extent from leaving the house in Pashtun majority cities such as Kandahar would hamper any mixed men women celebrations in outdoor social settings?

[Kaspias]

What's interesting it's how this celebration of Nowruz feast of Persian New Year, find his way through Ottoman Sufi traditions, and still today have people celebrating it among Sufi/Bektashi Balkan Muslims

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz8nTfwA9PI

I have never heard anything about Nevruz till I see Kurds in Turkey celebrate it.


Instead, we celebrate Hıdrellez by writing our wishes into a ribbon and pull it to a tree and burn and dance around a big fire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%B1d%C4%B1rellez

Also, we celebrate the coming of Baba Marta by wearing wristbands what we call "Martinik" -also known as Martenicka, I think- as well as burning fire and jump over it.

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Happy Nevruz to you all.

[itilvolga]

Happy Nevruz/Hıdırellez to everyone from the Balkans to Central Asia!

We usually celebrate it with Romani people here, because they turn it into a colorful carnival, and people have fun together. Under the name of “Bahar Şenliği”, many musicians from the Balkans come here and perform open air concerts with our local musicians. We don’t celebrate for 2 years due to the conditions of COVID-19, though.

[PAGANE]

Bulgarians still celebrate it, it is not said so and it is broken in Eastern Orthodox Christianity- What Caspias showed in the photo. It is known as Sirni zagovezni or Proska / Forgiveness. Traditionally, children ask their parents for forgiveness, just as parents want forgiveness from their grandparents. The youngest people ask forgiveness from the oldest, then the elders ask forgiveness from those who are younger. At the transition between winter and spring came the fiery logs with which the Bulgarians welcomed the new season. Holidays accompanied by lighting a fire and jumping over it for health. The custom is especially popular in the Rhodopes, in Southwestern Bulgaria, as well as in some villages around the Balkan Mountains and Sredna Gora. It is known as Sirni zagovezni or Proska / Forgiveness. Traditionally, children ask their parents for forgiveness, just as parents want forgiveness from their grandparents. The youngest people ask forgiveness from the oldest, then the elders ask forgiveness from those who are younger. At the transition between winter and spring came the fiery logs with which the Bulgarians welcomed the new season. Holidays accompanied by lighting a fire and jumping over it for health. The custom is especially popular in the Rhodopes, in Southwestern Bulgaria, as well as in some villages around the Balkan Mountains and Sredna Gora. One week after this holiday is Todor's Day or known as Horse Easter. Located on the border between winter and spring, the national holiday is dedicated to horses. And one of the most stable folklore traditions, which has survived to this day, are horse races (kushii), organized on St. Todor's Day.