Message from Katayun Kapadia, President FEZANA
FEZANA wishes a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Navroze/Nourouz to fellow Zarathushtis and to our friends across North America & worldwide.
Nourouz, with origins lying in Persian antiquity, is marked by the Spring Equinox, falling on March 20 this year. As a Harvard University guide notes, while Nourouz is celebrated by people from diverse ethnic and religious communities, for the Zarathushti community it is something special. It is our spiritual New Year.
Distinctive celebrations are associated with the Nourouz holiday including the Haft- Seen table. Traditionally, the table is laden with seven symbolic items whose names all begin with the Persian letter S: Sumac, representing sunrise and the spice of life; Senjed, sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree, representing love; Serkeh, vinegar, for patience; Seeb, apples, for health and beauty; Seer, garlic, for good health; Samanu, wheat pudding, for fertility and the sweetness of life; Sabzeh, sprouted wheat grass, for fertility and the rebirth of nature. These seven items vary slightly from table to table, however, the number Seven is constant. Seven represents the Seven Eternal Laws of Nature, as enumerated in the Gathas: Vohu Mana, Asha Vahishta, Kshatra Vairya, Spenta Armaity, Hurvatat, Ameretat, Ahura Mazda. Hence, the seven items placed on the table remind us of our commitment and dedication to follow the path that brings all Creation towards Perfection.
Every Nourouz is special in its own way. But this year promises to be especially memorable because it coincides with a unique and exciting event: the arrival of the Cyrus Cylinder on the shores of the United States. The object is widely considered an ancient Declaration of Human Rights. The ancient clay object, barely 9 inches long and a resident of the British Museum since its 19th century discovery under the sands of Mesopotamia, bears a statement of ruling principles by Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenian Empire. Cyrus the Great is a hero to the Zarathushti people who consider themselves the inheritors of his legacy of tolerance and magnanimity.
The Cyrus Cylinder and an accompanying cast of artifacts are now on display at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art through April 28. The objects will be exhibited in Houston from May 3-June 14; New York from June 20- August 4; San Francisco from August 9-September 22; and Los Angeles from October 2-December 2. We encourage everyone to visit the exhibit when it comes to their communities and to plan educational events for children and adults related to the occasion.
Happy Nourouz and Goodwill to all!
