Any festival that can unite more than 300 million people in more than a dozen countries has something special about it. Nowruz, meaning "new day", is just such a celebration.
Believed to have been marked for more than 3,000 years, Nowruz takes place around the spring equinox. Celebrated from Afghanistan to Albania, it is a dynamic, hopeful time. Although traditions vary from country to country, people will spring clean to prepare for a fresh start, decorate eggs and even leap over bonfires, a practice thought to cleanse the previous year’s energy and invite vitality in the future.
This year, that sense of hope and optimism will be sorely needed as many communities in the Middle East and beyond mark Nowruz amid war and destruction. In Iran, Nowruz is usually the highlight of the year. Schools are out, and parties are thrown in city streets and village squares. Whatever festivities take place this year will obviously be more muted.
This sombre atmosphere seems to have escaped the attention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who earlier this week urged Iranians to go out and celebrate. “Our aircraft are hitting the terror operatives on the ground, in the crossroads, in the city squares,” Mr Netanyahu said in a message. “This is meant to enable the brave people of Iran to celebrate the Festival of Fire.”
That Israeli warplanes are literally setting parts of Iran ablaze is a source of unfortunate irony.
War is also overshadowing Nowruz celebrations in Afghanistan. A deadly military conflict with Pakistan and disapproval of the festival emanating from the country’s Taliban rulers will sap some of the joy from the festivities. There, Nowruz is traditionally the start of the new school year – an experience that many Afghan girls are now missing out on, owing to the Taliban’s hostility to female education.
In Iraq, Nowruz is a significant moment for the country, where it has been a national holiday for decades and is especially important for millions of Kurds. This year, the fallout from the Iran war has led to repeated Iranian strikes on cities such as Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Authorities in the Kurdistan Regional Government have said the region, once a relatively stable part of Iraq, has been heavily affected by attacks from Iran and Iranian-backed groups.
However, in keeping with Nowruz’s spirit of renewal, it is important to note the festival’s enduring appeal and changing profile. In Syria, the government earlier this year declared Nowruz a paid national holiday, an important gesture that recognised the diversity of identities and traditions in that country.
Positive too is that fact that Saturday is Mother’s Day across the Arab world. As with Nowruz, millions of people will make gestures big and small to acknowledge bonds of family and community. It says something about the human spirit that, even in the most challenging times, looking ahead to the coming year with hope is a celebration worth marking.
