Los Angeles (Times Of Ocean)- Nowruz symbolizes the permanence and immortality of Iranian culture. Four years ago, M. Mahboubeh Hosseinpour, whose brother Dr Ardeshir Hosseinpour was killed by the Iranian intelligence agents in 2007, had celebrated Nowruz in front of the Los Angeles Federal Building by arranging Haft-sin seven symbolic items whose names start with the letter ‘S’. You can read her views on Nowruz here.
Nowruz is the oldest ritual-national celebration in history ever, which has one of the broadest cultural areas. For Iranians, however, currently at the center of this cultural field, Nowruz extends far beyond a celebration and ritual and leisure. Thus, we cannot say that Nowruz is Iran’s mother or that Iran is Nowruz’s mother! They are, however, both necessary for each other’s life and continuity.
However, for Iranians who are in the center of this cultural field, Nowruz is a role far beyond a celebration and ritual and leisure, and it seems, such a mutuality is the relationship between mother and child, so we cannot say that Nowruz is Iran’s mother or Iran is the mother of Nowruz! But, for sure, they are both necessary for each other’s life and continuity. Therefore, based on this perspective, the logic of Nowruz survival can be examined from three angles:
- Aesthetic dimension; The time of Nowruz is intertwined with the emergence of a great masterpiece of nature. As a matter of fact, Britannica defines art as a collection of human-made works or processes that intentionally use symbolic elements to influence human emotions, feelings, and intelligence at the start of spring. As a result, the described art is manipulated by nature in its widest and deepest form, affecting human emotions, feelings, and intellect most positively. In all the pillars of nature, the resurrection is beautiful. The mountains, the plains, the sea, the earth and the sky, in a harmonious and generous balance, feed our senses with beauty, and the Iranian Nowruz is a unique jewel in the market of nature jewels.
- The law of supply and demand; the evolution of civilization began when Paleolithic man was able to predict the phenomena of nature and control its elements, with its first stage being pastoral lifestyles, and its second and most advanced stage being agrarian societies. Ancient man was forced to be patient during the long and cold winters, as he passed from recession to upturn and prosperity. The human race desired warmth, light, springs, and grassy plains to preserve himself, his cattle, and his properties, and in the spring, he signed the definitive contract of life, the first day of which was, in fact, the climax of the contract.
- The Challenge element; Destruction, erosion, loss, and forgetfulness are the elements of failure and surrender, and vice versa being, growth, and presence are the pillars of authority and victory, and basically the philosophy of human life is defined by these two concepts. Undoubtedly, nature was the first teacher that taught people how to deal with challenges and overcome failure to achieve victory. In the meantime, immortality has always been the main issue in their minds and the source of most of their behaviors, creativity, and intellectual output.
The resurrection of nature in spring provides the most vital elixir of victory and a symbol of immortality for those seeking meaning in life. As a result, Nowruz creates the most logical reason for its celebration in the minds and hearts of the Iranian people. However, this challenging element of Nowruz has also become a kind of urban ‘software war’ in the contemporary Iran. The Iranian people have been arguing with the political-cultural restrictions at the lowest possible price since the Shiite clerics took power forty years ago as Nowruz becomes more prominent in their lives. For the Iranian people, Nowruz is their most civil weapon of disobedience. Having celebrated Nowruz 44 times, the Iranian nation has held 44 cultural and political referendums against the Islamic Republic as an aggressive and oppressor regime. However, removing non-Iranian items from Nowruz and restoring its ancient cultural elements are national necessities. In the Iranian diaspora, especially those who live abroad, there is a danger that national-patriotic rituals, including Nowruz, will be transformed. The Iranian diaspora needs to be more aware of this danger, follow the customs and traditions of Nowruz to the letter, and be cautious that the Persian language is the most valuable support and logistics without which Nowruz will lose its original meaning. How can the upcoming generation of Iranians abroad protect the ritual if they cannot express Nowruz’s philosophy in Persian [Farsi]? Hence, teaching Persian, in all its skills reading, writing, listening and speaking, is a national-patriotic activity for the children of Iranians in exile. Iranians will once again unite around their commonalities, including the Persian language, as victory nears.