Happy New Year

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nowrūz (Persian: نوروز‎, IPA: [nouˈɾuːz], meaning "[The] New Day") is the name of the Iranian New Year in Iranian calendars and the corresponding traditional celebrations. Nowruz is also widely referred to as the "Persian New Year".

Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian peoples and the related cultural continent and has spread in many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia, Caucasus, South Asia, Northwestern China, the Crimea and some groups in the Balkans.

Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians, the same time is celebrated in parts of the South Asian sub-continent as the new year. The moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and Iranian families gather together to observe the rituals.

Originally being a Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of them all, Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.

The Jewish festival of Purim is probably adopted from the Persian New Year. It is also a holy day for Sufis, Ismailis, Alawites, Alevis, and adherents of the Bahá'í Faith.

The term Nowruz in writing, first appeared in Persian records in the 2nd century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the Achaemenids c. 548–330 BC), where kings from different nations under the Persian empire used to bring gifts to the Emperor, also called King of Kings (Shahanshah), of Persia on Nowruz. The significance of Nowruz in the Achaemenid empire was such that the great Persian king Cambyses II's appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the New Year festival (Nowruz).

The UN's General Assembly in 2010 recognized the International Day of Nowruz, describing it a spring festival of Persian origin which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. During the meeting of The Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28 September – 2 October 2009 in Abu Dhabi, Nowrūz was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Etymology

The term Nowruz is a Persian compound-word and consists of:

• now (Old Persian nava) means "new" and has the following cognates, in English new, in Latin novus, German neu, Sanskrit nava, etc. The Persian pronunciation differs in the many dialects of the language: while the eastern dialects have preserved the original diphthong (IPA: [næuˈɾoːz]), the western dialects usually pronounce it with a different diphthong (IPA: [nouˈɾuːz]), and some colloquial variants (such as the Tehrani accent) pronounce it with a monophtong (IPA: [noˈɾuːz]).

• rōz (also with various pronuciations, such as rūz,rose.rooz rozh, or roj) means "day" in Middle- and Modern Persian. The original meaning of the word, however, was "light". The term is derived from Avestan *rowch-, itself derived from Proto-Indo-European *leuk- (l <-> r and k <-> ch sound changes are common in Indo-European languages), and is related to Sanskrit ruci, Latin lux and, in fact, English light.

Nowruz and the spring equinox

Main article: Equinox

The first day on the Iranian calendar falls on the March equinox, the first day of spring. At the time of the equinox, the sun is observed to be directly over the equator, and the north and south poles of the Earth lie along the solar terminator; sunlight is evenly divided between the north and south hemispheres.

In ca. 11 century CE major reforms of Iranian calendars took place and whose principal purpose was to fix the beginning of the calendar year, i.e. Nowrūz, at the vernal equinox. Accordingly, the definition of Nowruz given by the Iranian scientist Ṭūsī was the following: "the first day of the official new year [Nowruz] was always the day on which the sun entered Aries before noon".

History and tradition

Tradition and mythology

The celebration has its roots in Ancient Iran. Due to its antiquity, there exist various foundation myths for Nowruz in Iranian mythology. In the Zoroastrian tradition, the seven most important Zoroastrian festivals are the six Gahambars and Nowruz, which occurs at the spring equinox. According to Mary Boyce,

“

It seems a reasonable surmise that Nowruz, the holiest of them all, with deep doctrinal significance, was founded by Zoroaster himself.

”

Between sunset of the day of the 6th Gahanbar and sunrise of Nowruz was celebrated Hamaspathmaedaya (later known, in its extended form, as Frawardinegan). This and the Gahanbar are the only festivals named in the surviving text of the Avesta.

The Shahnameh, dates Nowruz as far back to the reign of Jamshid, who in Zoroastrian texts saved mankind from a killer winter that was destined to kill every living creature. The mythical Persian King Jamshid (Yima or Yama of the Indo-Iranian lore) perhaps symbolizes the transition of the Indo-Iranians from animal hunting to animal husbandry and a more settled life in human history. In the Shahnameh and Iranian mythology, he is credited with the foundation of Nowruz. In the Shahnama, Jamshid constructed a throne studded with gems. He had demons raise him above the earth into the heavens; there he sat on his throne like the sun shining in the sky. The world's creatures gathered in wonder about him and scattered jewels around him, and called this day the New Day or No/Now-Ruz. This was the first day of the month of Farvardin (the first month of the Persian calendar).

The Persian scholar Abu Rayhan Biruni of the 10th century AD, in his Persian work "Kitab al-Tafhim li Awa'il Sina'at al-Tanjim" provides a description of the calendar of various nations. Besides the Persian calendar, various festivals of Arabs, Jews, Sabians, Greeks and other nations are mentioned in this book. In the section on the Persian calendar (Persian: تقویم پارسیان‎), he mentions Nowruz, Sadeh, Tiregan, Mehregan, the six Gahanbar, Parvardegaan, Bahmanja, Isfandarmazh and several other festivals. According to him: It is the belief of the Persians that Nowruz marks the first day when the universe started its motion. The Persian historian Abu Saʿīd Gardēzī in his work titled Zayn al-Akhbār under the section of the Zoroastrians festivals mentions Nowruz (among other festivals) and specifically points out that Zoroaster highly emphasized the celebration of Nowruz and Mehregan.

History

Although it is not clear whether proto-Indo-Iranians celebrated a feast as the first day of the calendar, there are indications that both Iranians and Indians assumed the first day of autumn as the beginning of new year season. There are reasons that Iranians may have observed the beginning both autumn and spring, related to the harvest and the sowing of seeds, respectively, for the year.

Boyce and Grenet explain the traditions for seasonal festivals and comment:"It is possible that the splendor of the Babylonian festivities at this season led the Persians to develop their own spring festival into an established new year feast, with the name Navasarda 'New Year' (a name which, though first attested through Middle Persian derivatives, is attributed to the Achaemenian period). Since the communal observations of the ancient Iranians appear in general to have been a seasonal ones, and related to agriculture, it is probable, that they traditionally held festivals in both autumn and spring, to mark the major turning points of the natural year".

We have reasons to believe that the celebration is much older than that date and was surely celebrated by the people and royalty during the Achaemenid times (555-330 BC). It was, therefore, a highly auspicious occasion for the ancient Iranian peoples. It has been suggested that the famous Persepolis complex, or at least the palace of Apadana and the Hundred Columns Hall, were built for the specific purpose of celebrating Nowruz. Although, there may be no mention of Nowruz in recorded Achaemenid inscriptions (see picture) There is a detailed account by Xenophon of Nowruz celebration taking place in Persepolis and the continuity of this festival in the Achaemenid tradition. According to Britannica, the Jewish festival of Purim, is probably adopted from the Persian New Year.

Nowruz was the holiday of Arsacid/Parthian dynastic Empires who ruled Iran (248 BC-224 AD). There are specific references to the celebration of Nowruz during the reign of Vologases I (51-78 AD), but these include no details. Before Sassanids established their power in West Asia around 300 AD, Parthians celebrated Nowruz in Autumn and 1st of Farvardin began at the Autumn Equinox. During Parthian dynasty the Spring Festival was Mehragan, a Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated in honor of Mithra.

Extensive records on the celebration of Nowruz appear following the accession of Ardashir I of Persia, the founder of the Sassanid dynasty (224-651 AD). Under the Sassanid Emperors, Nowruz was celebrated as the most important day of the year. Most royal traditions of Nowruz such as royal audiences with the public, cash gifts, and the pardoning of prisoners, were established during the Sassanian era and persisted unchanged until modern times.

Nowruz, along with Sadeh (celebrated in mid-winter), survived in society following the introduction of Islam in 650 AD. Other celebrations such Gahanbar and Mehragan were eventually side-lined or were only followed by the Zoroastrians, who carried them. There are records of the Four Great Caliphs presiding over Nowruz celebrations, and it was adopted as the main royal holiday during the Abbasid period.

In his work titled the Nowruznama, Omar Khayyam, a well known Persian poet and Mathematician provides a vivid description of the celebration in the courts of the Kings of Persia:

“

From the era of Kai Khusraw till the days of Yazdegard, last of the pre-Islamic kings of Persia, the royal custom was thus: on the first day of the New Year, Now Ruz, the King's first visitor was the High Mobad of the Zoroastrians, who brought with him as gifts a golden goblet full of wine, a ring, some gold coins, a fistful of green sprigs of wheat, a sword, and a bow. In the language of Persia he would then glorify God and praise the monarch. This was the address of the High Mobad to the king : "O Majesty, on this feast of the Equinox, first day of the first month of the year, seeing that thou hast freely chosen God and the Faith of the Ancient ones; may Surush, the Angel-messenger, grant thee wisdom and insight and sagacity in thy affairs. Live long in praise, be happy and fortunate upon thy golden throne, drink immortality from the Cup of Jamshid; and keep in solemn trust the customs of our ancestors, their noble aspirations, fair gestures and the exercise of justice and righteousness. May thy soul flourish; may thy youth be as the new-grown grain; may thy horse be puissant, victorious; thy sword bright and deadly against foes; thy hawk swift against its prey; thy every act straight as the arrow's shaft. Go forth from thy rich throne, conquer new lands. Honor the craftsman and the sage in equal degree; disdain the acquisition of wealth. May thy house prosper and thy life be long!"

”

Following the demise of the Caliphate and the subsequent re-emergence of Persian dynasties such as the Samanids and Buyids, Nowruz was elevated to an even more important event. The Buyids revived the ancient traditions of Sassanian times and restored many smaller celebrations that had been eliminated by the Caliphate. According to the Syrian historian Yaqut al-Hamawi, the Iranian Buyid ruler ʿAżod-od-Dawla (r. 949-83) customarily welcomed Nowruz in a majestic hall, wherein servants had placed gold and silver plates and vases full of fruit and colorful flowers. The King would sit on the royal throne (masnad), and the court astronomer came forward, kissed the ground, and congratulated him on the arrival of the New Year. The king would then summon musicians and singers, and invited his boon companions. They would gather in their assigned places and enjoy a great festive occasion Even the Turkic and Mongol invaders did not attempt to abolish Nowruz in favor of any other celebration. Thus, Nowruz remained as the main celebration in the Persian lands by both the officials and the people.

دانستنیها Facts

The language most closely related to English is Frisian.

زبانی که بیشترین شباهت را به انگلیسی دارد زبان فریزی است.

English is the only language that capitalises the first person singular, "I".

انگلیسی تنها زبانی است که اول شخص مفرد را به صورت حرف بزرگ مینویسد.

Beware of bottles labeled "Gift" in Germany. In German, Gift means poison.

از بطری هایی با برچسب "هدیه" در آلمان دوری کنید. در زبان آۀمانی هدیه به معنای سم است.

China has more English speakers than the United States.

در کشور چین بیش از آمریکا انگلیسی زبان وجود دارد.

Guyana is the only South American country with English as its official language.

 گویان تنها کشور در قاره آمریکای جنوبی است که زبان رسمی آن انگلیسی است.

In nearly every language around the world, the word for "mother" begins with an m sound. Some exceptions can be found in the Uralic language group.

تقریبا در تمامی زبانهای دنیا کلمه "مادر" با حرف "م" شروع میشود. بعضی از استثناها را میتوان در زبانهای اورالیک پیدا نمود.

Listopad means "October" in Croatian, and "November" in Czech.

"Listopad" در کرواسی به معنی اکتبر و در چک به معنای نوامبر است.

The European Union has 21 official languages.

اتحادیه اروپا دارای 21 زبان رسمی است.

دانستنیها Facts

The ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics only for ritual purposes and official inscriptions. For everyday use, a script known as hieratic was used, and starting around 700 B.C., a second script known as demotic was used. Both of these scripts were written using a brush on papyrus.

مصریان باستان فقط برای مقاصد آیینی و کتیبه های رسمی از خط هیروگلیف استفاده میکردند. برای استفاده های روزانه از خطی دیگر به نام خط کاهنی استفاده می کردند که شروع آن به 700 سال قبل از میلاد مسیح میرسد. بعدها از خطی که وابسته به حروف جدید هیروگلیفی بود استفاده کردند. هر دو خط توسط قلم مو و بر روی پاپیروس نوشته میشده است.

The oldest known written language is Sumerian, which originated in Mesopotamia around 3,500 B.C. It was written in cuneiform script, and the symbols represent the sounds made by syllables.

قدیمی ترین زبان نوشتاری شناخته شده سومری است که در بین النهرین و 3500 سال قبل از میلاد مسیح وجود داشته است. این زبان به صورت خط میخی بوده و صداهای ساخته شده توسط هجاها با نشانه ها نوشته میشدند.

 All the world's major alphabets developed from a single alphabet invented 3,600 years ago in the Middle East, known as the North Semitic Alphabet.

تمامی الفباهای اصلی دنیا از یک الفبا توسعه یافته اند که 3600 سال پیش در خاورمیانه اختراع شده است و به الفبای سامی شمالی معروف است.

Around 175 languages in the world are spoken by less than ten people, and nearly 500 are spoken by less than 100. One-fourth of the world's languages are spoken by under 1,000 people.

حدود 175 نوع زبان در دنیا توسط تعدادی کمتر از ده نفر و حدود 500 زبان توسط افرادی کمتر از 100 نفر صحبت میشود. یک چهارم زبانهای دنیا در جمعیتی کمتر از هزار نفر صحبت میشود.

صحیح و غلط در زبان

اگر ما از چراغ قرمز راهنمایی رد شویم، اموال کسی را بدزدیم یا کسی را بکشیم، دقیقا می‌دانیم که جریمه این اعمال را چه مرجعی تعیین می‌کند: قانون کشور. و می‌دانیم اگر قانون را رعایت نکنیم چه مقامی ما را مجازات خواهد کرد: دولت. آیا در کشور قانونی وجود دارد که مقرراتی برای گفتار ما وضع کند، یا هیچ شعبه‌ای از دستگاه دولت هست که چنین مقرراتی را به موقع اجرا بگذارد؟ مسلما نه. کتاب‌هایی هستند که قوانینی برای صحبت کردن و نوشتن ما تدوین کرده‌اند و مردمی هستند که اگر ما از این قوانین پیروی نکنیم اعتراض و خرده‌گیری می‌کنند. ولی این کتاب‌ها و این مردم از لحاظ حقوقی هیچ نفوذی بر ما ندارند (خارج از محدوده کلاس درس که البته در آنجا معلم می‌تواند در ازاء سرپیچی از این قوانین به ما نمره بد بدهد). نه فقط آنها فاقد صلاحیت حقوقی هستند، بلکه دارای هیچ گونه قدرتی نیستند که مقامی به آنها تفویض کرده باشد. درست است که بعضی کشورها دستگاه‌های تنظیم کننده‌ای داشته‌اند که از نوعی قدرت برخوردار بوده‌اند، مثل آکادمی‌های ملی فرانسه و اسپانیا که به وسیله پادشاه تاسیس شدند و و ظیفه خاص آنها «تنظیم و پاک نگه داشتن زبان» بود. حتی در این کشورها نیز کسانی که دخالت آکادمی‌ها را در کار زبان جدی تلقی کردند معدود بودند، ولی به هر حال قدرت آنها به نحوی وجود داشت. اما چنین دستگاهی هیچگاه در یک کشور انگلیسی زبان وجود نداشته است و بعید به نظر می‌رسد که مردم انگلیسی زبان هرگز مایل باشند که فتواهای یک آکادمی یا وزارت فرهنگ یا موسسه‌ای نظیر آن را بپذیرند.

صورت‌های مختلف زبان به عنوان وسیله بیان عقایدی که شما می‌خواهید منتقل کنید، دارای ارزش مساوی هستند. مثلا برای یک انگلیسی زبان، عبارت

you do it برای بیان مفهوم «انجام دادن کاری در زمان گذشته» به خوبی ِ عبارت you did it است و هیچ انگلیسی زبانی امروز در درک مقصود شما دچار اشکال نمی‌شود. همین فرض درباره عبارات دیگری که غلط محسوب می‌شوند نیز صادق است. حتی در پاره‌ای موارد می‌توان ادعا کرد که صورت‌های به اصطلاح «غلط» از نظر سادگی و روشنی تاحدی بر صورت‌های دیگر ترجیح دارد. صورت his در گفتار «صحیح» هم به عنوان صفت به کار برده می‌شود (مانند his book) و هم به عنوان ضمیر (مانند that’s his)، در حالی که صورت به اصطلاح «غلط» hisn و دیگر صورت‌های مشابه که به n- ختم می‌شوند (hern, ourn, yourn, theirn) به وسیله پسوند خود کاملا مشخص شده‌اند که ضمایر ملکی هستند نه چیز دیگر، همین استدلال درباره صورت ain’t نیز صادق است. برای اینکه زمان حال فعل to be را منفی کنیم: در گفتار «صحیح» باید از سه الگوی متفاوت استفاده کنیم:

Funny Jokes

What is your name?

Walking through Chinatown, a tourist is fascinated with all the Chinese restaurants, shops, signs and banners. He turns a corner and sees a building with the sign, "Hans Olaffsen's Laundry."

"Hans Olaffsen?", he muses. "How in hell does that fit in here?" So he walks into the shop and sees an old Chinese gentleman behind the counter.

The tourist asks, "How did this place get a name like 'Hans Olaffsen's Laundry?'" The old man answers, "Is name of owner."

The tourist asks, "Well, who and where is the owner?" "Me...is right here," replies the old man.

"You? How did you ever get a name like Hans Olaffsen?"

"Is simple," says the old man. "Many, many year ago when come to this country, was stand in line at Documentation Center. Man in front was big blonde Swede. Lady look at him and go, 'What your name?' He say,'Hans Olaffsen.' Then she look at me and go, 'What your name?'"

"I say Sem Ting."

Visit the barber

A man and a little boy entered a barbershop together. After the man received the full treatment - shave, shampoo, manicure, haircut, etc. - he placed the boy in the chair.

"I'm goin' to buy a green tie to wear for the parade," he said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

When the boy's haircut was completed and the man still hadn't returned, the barber said, "Looks like your daddy's forgotten all about you." "That wasn't my daddy," said the boy. "He just walked up, took me by the hand and said, 'Come on, son, we're gonna get a free haircut!'"

My wife is missing

The man approached the very beautiful woman in the large supermarket and asked, "You know, I've lost my wife here in the supermarket. Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?"

"Why?"

"Because every time I talk to a beautiful woman my wife appears out of nowhere."