Robert L. Peters

20 March 2008

Welcome Spring / Nowruz

nowruz_istanbul.jpg

Winnipeg, Canada

We saw our first migratory Canada Goose here this week… the sun is growing in strength, puddles of water are emerging… spring appears to have once again sprung… today is the Spring Equinox. In Turkey (and all other Persian cultures), today is the Iranian new year, or Nowruz (also spelled Norooz, Norouz, Newroz, Newrooz…). Nowruz is said to have been celebrated for some 15,000 years—even before the end of the last ice age.

Image by Bertil Videt: Kurds in Istanbul celebrate Nowruz by jumping over fire (looks like fun—perhaps we’ll try that on the weekend).

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