The Nowruz (New Year) Holiday
On Thursday 20 March 2008 at 9.18 am, at the precise moment when the earth entered the vernal equinox, spring and the new Iranian year (1387 Anno Persico, or Solar Hijri year) began.
At 9 o’clock Hossein, Athena, Yusef and I went to elder sister-in-law’s house to see the new year in. Then a long round of visits ensued, lasting the whole of the first twelve days of the year. According to the custom, first we visited Hossein’s elders, his four maternal uncles (no elders survive on his father’s side), some of his older cousins, a few friends, with some paying our visit back a few days later.
In the space of these twelve days we saw people we don’t normally see throughout the year; in fact, Iranians appreciate the custom a lot, because it re-affirms familial ties that tend to loosen throughout the year, as people are busy with work and everyday life.
However, for some people this is the only time in the year they can get away from Tehran for a few days, which has three main effects: they miss out on the visiting; popular destinations like Mashhad, Shiraz, Isfahan and to a large extent all over Iran, overflow with visitors and it’s almost impossible to find accommodation unless planned well in advance. (for the third effect, see below). Even flights out of Tehran TO ALL DESTINATIONS were fully booked about six weeks before the start of the holiday. I know; I tried to book tickets to Athens. We didn’t really go anywhere over the holidays (mainly because I can’t stand the crowds) apart from visiting; a day trip to Qazvin (historic city to the west of Tehran) on the 24th; and a wedding on 27th of March.
The third effect, the best of all in my opinion, is that Tehran empties of people, especially during the first week of the holiday. It took us forty minutes to reach Shabdolazim by car; on normal days it takes twice that and often more. And the weather is normally clear, the sky blue and the Alborz mountains seem so near that you think that if you stretch your arm you’ll touch them.
But this year, due to a bizarre weather phenomenon, the air was full of fine, sandy dust, blown over from the desert in mini-twisters, which filled the whole of the city and made the temperature rise to summer levels. This lasted for most of the holiday until a few days ago, when strong winds cleared the air.
This morning’s rain in Tehran meant a new veil of snow on the mountains, and more water in the summer. So we’re spared the heat for maybe another month or so.