The Zoroastrian calendar starts with Navroz on March 21, the spring equinox, when nature is in full bloom. The festivities of Navroz reflect the renewal of the earth that occurs with the coming of spring. Since Navroz has links with the legend of King Jamshid of Iran, it is also called Jamshedi Navroz. On the ritual Navroz table (Sofreh Haft Seen), all aspects of creation come together in a sacred space: fire, water, fruit, grain, vinegar, plant and animal life represented by fish in a bowl, author Bakhtiar K. Dadhabhoy said in a lecture.
The term ‘Navroz’ first appeared in Persian records in the second century AD. In honour of this feat, there are a series of customs marked by the number seven, a number that denotes the seven Amesha Spentas, the seven divine entities emanating from Ahura Mazda, the highest divinity of the religion. The Navroz table has fire represented by a lamp, a mirror, a prayer book, a pomegranate, and seven items starting with the letter ‘S’ or ‘Sh’. The most visual symbol of new life are the seeds planted in small containers to sprout in time for the Navroz table. The items with the ‘sh’ sound are: sherab (wine), sheer (milk), sherbet (sweetened drink), shagufeh (buds), shama (candle), shakar (sugar), and shaheed (honey). Items with the ‘s’ sound include samanu (pudding), seer (garlic), seeb (apple), somaq (berries), serkeh (vinegar), sonbol (hyacinth), and sekkeh (coins).
Women of the house offer sweets and rose water to all those who visit. Guests are invited to look into the mirror with a smiling face for good luck in the new year. Navroz promotes peace and solidarity not only between families but also between communities. Spelt in different ways, across different countries in Central Asia, Navroz has, since 2009, been listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity.