WELCOME SPRING 2018!
For many of us March is only vaguely related to the concept of a new year, depending upon where one lives, it may as well be only vaguely related to spring. For some friends and colleagues, March is related to both the new year and spring - Nowruz. Celebrating my intense belief that food is a language of culture as much as words are, for March I offer us all the opportunity to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
NOTE: While having Iranian and religious Zoroastrian origins, Nowruz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities for thousands of years. It is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians. Nowruz is universally celebrated in: Iran Nowrooz March 21-24, Tajikistan Navruz March 20-22, Azerbaijan Novruz Bairam March 20-24, AfghanistanNow Rooz March 21, Kazakhstan Nauryz Meyramy March 21-23, Kyrgyzstan Nooruz March 21, Albania Nevruz (Dita e Nevruzit) March 22, Turkmenistan Nowruz Bayram March 20-21, Uzbekistan Navro’z Bayrami March 21, Autonomous Region of Kurdistan (Iraq) Nowruz March 21, and Georgia Nowruz March 21.
For an interesting and humorous take on Nowruz I share with you an article from the New York Times written by the niece of dear friends.