Photo by RDNE Stock projectNowruz
Resources
On 20th March this year, millions of Iranians, Afghans, and Kurds around the world will celebrate Nowruz — their New Year and a season of renewal. Want to understand the meaning behind the traditions, like the setting up of the Haft Sin table? Thinking of celebrating with your Iranian friends but not sure where to start? Start here!
Podcast
Discovering Nowruz: A Guide to Celebrating and Welcoming in a Church Context
Join Fatemeh, Daniel, Jonathan, and Samuel as they dive into the history, traditions, and cultural significance of Nowruz - exploring how this special occasion can be a meaningful opportunity for churches to extend welcome and friendship!
Nowruz greeting cards
Celebrate Nowruz with our beautifully designed greeting cards, featuring the phrase "Nowruz Mubarak" in Farsi and symbolic elements of the Haft-Sin table. This pack includes two unique designs (two cards of each), perfect for sharing joy and cultural connection with your Iranian friends and loved ones.
Webinar
Nowruz: A Time to Dance, a Time to Mourn
A 2024 training and information session on Nowruz, and on how to connect with Iranians, Kurds and Afghans during their biggest annual festival.
Other resources
A Christian Understanding of Nowruz / Newroz
David Baldwin has written up the substance of the seminar in this article. He also provides ideas on how to use Newroz in your ESL classroom.
Images: Wikipedia has many good images of Nowruz that you can use for free. (Attributions needed.)
About the Cultures of Nowruz: For differences between Iranian, Kurdish & Afghan celebrations of Nowruz, Wikipedia is an excellent source
About Zoroastrians (and other disappearing religions of the Middle East): Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms by Gerard Russell
The Shahnameh:
Shahname: a New Translation by Dick Davis (Penguin Classics)
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings Retold by Elizabeth Laird (Frances Lincoln) - an out of print book but you can borrow from libraries (eg Oxfordshire has several copies)
Turkey’s relationship with the Kurds - the debate:
“Erdoğan celebrates Nevruz spring festival”, Daily Sabah (21 Mar 2021), an article in a Turkish nationalist newspaper which airbrushes Kurds out of Newroz. A reading recommended by Jerry.
“Newroz And The Attempts of Cultural Appropriation” Ekurd Daily, (17 Jan 2017), a Kurdish article by Scherco R. Baban deploring attempts to co-opt Newroz.