Nowruz and a Renewed Opportunity to Reconnect with the Planet

By: Rozina Kanchwala

Navroz (spelled in many ways: Nawroz, Nawruz, Nevruz, etc) means new day in Persian. It’s also the equinox for those in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of spring. This day gives us the opportunity to reconnect with the earth and appreciate what the changing seasons bring. 

Navroz festivals date back thousands of years and have their roots in the Zoroastrian religion. The festival continues to be celebrated by many people, cultures, and religions including Zoroastrians, Muslims, Christians, and secular people who welcome the changing season with celebration and symbolism. Many rituals are marked with seeds to signify birth, hope, and life. In our modern world, where agribusiness companies are taking control of our food system and subsequently our seeds, it is worth reflecting on how saving and planting seeds is an act of hope and resistance. 

Homes also set tables with sumac berries symbolizing the color of sunrise and a new dawn. The days are longer and afford us the opportunity to spend time outdoors, and the sunlight we enjoy provides us with abundant energy that we can use to power our society. On this occasion of Navroz, we can use it as an opportunity to commit to a clean energy transition away from fuel sources that require pillaging the earth and further pollute our air, water, and communities.

As the new day begins and we are greeted by the weather change, the chirping birds, and the blooming flowers, can we pause and recognize what we are working to preserve? What does the changing season mean to you? What are you planting this Spring? How are you reconnecting with the natural cycles of the Earth?

Happy Nowruz!