Happy Noruz!

On 20 March, the Persian calendar raises the curtain on one of its most important holidays: the Persian New Year. Known worldwide as Noruz, Nouruz or Norouz, the Persian New Year begins with the arrival of spring and is one of the most special times for the Iranian people.

Over the years, the international impact of Noruz has meant that the arrival of a new year is also welcomed in places such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and parts of India and Turkey.

This celebration can boast of being over three thousand years old, making the Persian New Year one of the oldest events of humanity. Its cultural and linguistic influence means the arrival of one of the most interesting moments for more than one translation agency.

For this reason, if you are passionate about the world of languages and want to know more about this world-famous holiday, we will explain below the most important details of the Persian New Year and the reasons that make this celebration a must-attend event for a translation company.

1. What is the Persian New Year?

Noruz comes from the word no (new) and ruz (day), so if we join the two concepts together, we get the expression that represents the arrival of a new day in Persian. However, this date goes much further than that.

Celebrated at the exact moment of the equinox, the Persian new year is characterised by the fact that the time and day of celebration never coincide. Therefore, the welcoming of the new year will always be celebrated at a different time and day. This event lasts for 13 days and marks the arrival of the most eagerly awaited moment for Iranians: travelling and visiting their loved ones to celebrate the arrival of a new year.

During the celebration, Iranian families purify their homes through cleaning, in order to welcome a new year full of good news and good fortune for their loved ones. The Haft Sin, one of the most emblematic moments of the arrival of the Persian New Year, plays an important role in this process.

The tradition of Haft Sin (the seven S's) involves the gathering of seven elements that share this initial in common. For example, the term Sabzeh refers to those lentils or wheat sprouts that are charged with soliciting good omens. Sekke, on the other hand, represents wealth and prosperity through gold coins.

If we talk about love, Senjed is the term used for the dried fruits of the oleaster tree, with the aim of symbolising fertility and emotion. The fourth element, Seer, is in charge of health, and hundreds of families attract it through garlic.

To represent desire and beauty, the apples represent the term Sib. Likewise, for spice lovers, the Somaq concept is a favourite, bringing together those elements that represent light and dawn.

Finally, vinegar belongs to the Serkeh, and symbolises maturity and intelligence. This habit becomes notorious during the last hours of the 13th day, as this is the time when families head to the countryside and parks to gather the seven elements that make up this tradition.

2. The influence of Persian culture on the world of translation

The impact of the new Iranian year led to this celebration becoming an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010. Among its motives are values and objectives such as peace and cultural diversity, welcomed by the UN.

It is therefore not surprising that the arrival of the Persian New Year is more than welcome in translation agencies in different countries, which are in charge of translating the cultural and linguistic value of this celebration into languages such as English, Spanish, German, Italian, French or Portuguese.