Written by By eFireTemple.com
Nowruz — the Persian New Year — is far more than a single moment on the spring equinox. It is a 13-day sacred cycle, woven with ancient Zoroastrian meaning, family ritual, cosmic alignment, and spiritual renewal. From the fiery cleansing of Charshanbe Suri to the joyful release of Sizdah Bedar, each day carries the light of Asha — truth, order, and balance.
Let’s explore each stage of this sacred unfolding.
1. Charshanbe Suri: Fire and Purification
Date: Last Tuesday night before Nowruz
Zoroastrian Essence: Transformation through fire (Atar), one of the holiest elements in Zoroastrianism.
Ritual: People leap over small bonfires chanting “Zardi-ye man az toh, sorkhi-ye toh az man” (“My sickly yellow to you, your glowing red to me”), symbolizing the burning away of negativity and illness, and absorbing strength from fire.
Meaning: This is a symbolic purification — a call to awaken the inner fire before the new year arrives.
2. Khuneh Tekouni: Shaking the House
Date: Days leading up to Nowruz
Meaning: A deep cleaning of the home and soul — a Zoroastrian principle of physical and spiritual hygiene.
Ritual: Washing everything, replacing broken items, and preparing the home to welcome fravashis (ancestral spirits) who visit during Nowruz.
Spiritual Layer: It’s a ritual of sacred order — making the home a vessel worthy of cosmic renewal.
3. The Haft-Seen Table: A Sacred Display of Seven Truths
Date: Set before Nowruz
Items: Sabzeh (growth), Samanu (strength), Senjed (love), Seer (health), Seeb (beauty), Somaq (sunrise), Serkeh (wisdom from age).
Symbolism: Each item is a symbol of Asha, tying the natural world to spiritual concepts like vitality, purity, and justice.
Zoroastrian Depth: This is not just decoration. It’s a mini-cosmos — a prayer in form.
4. Nowruz Day: The Cosmic Reset
Date: Spring Equinox – around March 20/21
Meaning: The moment the sun crosses the equator — light and dark in perfect balance.
Zoroastrian Parallel: The start of Farvardin, the month of guardian spirits (Fravahar).
Rituals: New clothes, family prayers, sacred meals, and fire ceremonies (Atash Niyayesh).
Theme: A universal rebirth — not just for humans, but for all creation.
5. Visiting Elders and Giving Eydi (Days 2–3)
Practice: Families visit elders to pay respect and receive blessings, often in the form of eydi (gift money).
Spiritual Frame: Honoring lineage, maintaining asha through gratitude, humility, and continuity.
6. Nature Walks and Sacred Reconnection (Days 4–5)
Custom: Visiting gardens, mountains, rivers — remembering that nature is a divine partner.
Zoroastrian Insight: Every aspect of nature has a yazata — a spiritual being — behind it. Walking through nature is walking among the divine.
7. Honoring Fravashis and Soul Wishes (Day 6)
Rituals:
- Tying sabzeh thread on the wrist and making a wish — often for a soulmate or a righteous path.
- Silent prayers to the Fravashis, the higher spirits of the righteous dead.
Meaning: These are days when the veils are thin — souls walk among us, and wishes carry extra weight.
8. Days of Joy, Music, and Bonding (Days 7–12)
Tradition: Poetry readings (Hafez and Rumi), music, storytelling, shared meals.
Zoroastrian Alignment: Joy (ushta) is a divine quality. Creating beauty and laughter is part of spiritual work.
9. Sizdeh Bedar: Releasing into Nature (Day 13)
Date: 13th day of Farvardin
Ritual: Families picnic in nature, and the sabzeh (grown wheatgrass) from the Haft-Seen is released into running water.
Why?: The 13th day symbolizes the final shedding of last year’s energy — letting go of unfulfilled hopes or negativity.
Cosmic Meaning: Releasing the sabzeh is releasing the past to the earth and waters, entrusting them to cleanse and renew.
Asha in Every Act
These 13 days are not simply festive traditions — they are a microcosm of the Zoroastrian worldview.
They echo the values of truth, order, reverence for nature, remembrance of the righteous, and joyful creation.
Nowruz is our sacred opportunity to align ourselves — body, mind, and spirit — with the eternal rhythm of Asha.