Nowruz 2571 (1391, 2012) began on:
با شادباش نوروز - تحويل سال نو تحويل سال نو ۲۵۷۱ - ساعت ۸ و ۴۴ دقيقه
و ۰۰ ثانيه صبح سه شنبه اول فروردين ۱۳۹۱
در ايران
Tehran:
Tuesday:
08:44:00 AM
March 20, 2012
New York:
Tuesday
01:11:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Chicago:
Tuesday
00:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Denver:
Monday
11:14:00 PM
March 19, 2012
Dubai:
Tuesday
09:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Los Angeles:
Monday
10:14:00 PM
March 19, 2012
London:
Tuesday
05:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Paris:
Tuesday
06:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Rome:
Tuesday
06:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Berlin:
Tuesday
06:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Athens:
Tuesday
07:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Jakarta:
Tuesday
12:14:00 pM
March 20, 2012
Jerusalem:
Tuesday
07:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Moscow:
Tuesday
08:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
Kuala Lumpur:
Tuesday
01:14:00 PM
March 20, 2012
Tokyo:
Tuesday
02:14:00 PM
March 20, 2012
Sydney:
Tuesday
04:14:00 PM
March 20, 2012
UTC/GMT:
Tuesday
05:14:00 AM
March 20, 2012
In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Iranian New Year
Celebration, or NOROOZ, always begins on the first day of spring.
Nowruz ceremonies are symbolic representations of two ancient concepts
- the End and the Rebirth; or Good and Evil.
A few weeks before the New Year, Iranians clean and rearrange their
homes. They make new clothes, bake pastries and germinate seeds as
sign of renewal. The ceremonial cloth
(Sofreh-e Haft Sin)
is set up in each household.
Troubadours, referred to as Haji Firuz,
disguise themselves with makeup
and wear brightly colored outfits of satin. These Haji Firuz, singing
and dancing, parade as a carnival through the streets with tambourines,
kettle drums, and trumpets to spread good cheer and the news of the
coming new year.
Haji Firooz is the black faced character who is the traditional herald of the Nowrooz season and begins to
wander the streets and alleyways in his red costume weeks before the end of the year. The sound of his songs
and the sight of his dance is often analogous to hearing Christmas music in a shopping mall, telling all that
Nowrooz is in the air. Although the blackness of his skin has been the source of some racial controversy in
Iranian intellectual circles, Haji's intentions and spirit have always been well received and loved by the people.
Haji FiRuz History: Hadji Firouz was a man in red clothes who went from street to street singing and beating a tambourine on New Year's eve (which is also the eve of spring). He was usually accompanied by one or two other persons. It is said that he and his companions were symbols of an old custom in Azarbaijan, called "Chisdon Chikhdim," according to which Haji Firouz sang from the streets to inform people that spring had come and that winter has gone. In return, people gave him gifts or money for the good news that he brought.