Talk:Nowruz

Request for Clarification on Nowruz’s Cultural Attribution

Dear Wikipedia Editors,

I would like to request a revision regarding the way Nowroz is described in the article. Initially, the article suggests that Nowroz is a Persian/Iranian new year, but this does not fully reflect its broader cultural significance.

Nowroz is celebrated by many different ethnic groups, cultures, and nations, including (but not limited to) Iranians, Afghans, Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmens, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and various communities in the Caucasus, the Middle East, the Balkans, and South Asia. While Nowroz has historical roots in different countries such as Iran, it has evolved into an international festival recognized by the United Nations as a shared cultural heritage of multiple nations.

I suggest revising the wording to reflect that Nowroz is not exclusively Persian/Iranian but rather a festival observed by a diverse range of cultures. A more inclusive phrasing would help maintain neutrality and accuracy.

For reference, here are some credible sources: 1. United Nations – International Day of Nowruz 2. UNESCO – Nowruz, an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate your efforts in ensuring Wikipedia remains an accurate and inclusive resource.

Best regards, R. Fakhari 2A02:3037:260:344E:CCAD:4707:EEA4:76B5 (talk) 23:31, 19 March 2025 (UTC)

Refer to my edit request - 'Request to restore "Persian" alongside "Iranian" in lead and relevant sections' Drumdigoxin (talk) 00:05, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 22 March 2025

Explanation:

So I want to make a request to edit it from Iranian New Year and restore it back to its name Persian New Year in the first text. Erasing the Persian and rebadging it as anything else downplays and diminishes what the Persians spread out to others. We can acknowledge that other communities celebrates it but importantly respecting that it's Persian in origin. It's the same with Chinese New Year, it's kept that it's Chinese in origin but acknowledges that other countries celebrates it too due to its influence so why can't it be the same for Nowruz? For the text above the "Overview" category, Nowruz isn't just Zoroastrianism in origin but also Persian in its roots like for example Haft Sin, Chaharshanbe, Haji Firuz all has its origins in the Persians and has no mention in the Avesta. When we speak of the first evidence, it all points to the Achaemenid and Sassanian empire which are Persian empires, the Parthians weren't known to be Zoroastrians and during that era, Zoroastrianism was mostly strict in the Fars province areas. Today, it's been spread out to other cultures and countries because of the Persian empires, especially Sassanian who made it an official state empire religion. For the roots of Nowruz, the edit needs to acknowledge that its both Persian and Zoroastrian, as well as for under the Haft Sin category that it has its roots in both Sassanian Persian empire as well as Achaemenid.

Texts that need to be changed:

Overview Opening Text:

"Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, Iranian Persian: [noːˈɾuːz],[x] lit. 'New Day') is the Iranian New Year.[36][37] Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples,[38] but is now celebrated by many ethnicities worldwide"

Text Above Overview:

"The roots of Nowruz lie in Zoroastrianism, and it has been celebrated by many peoples across West Asia,"

Custom Category under Haft Sin:

"Haft-sin's origins are not clear. The practice is believed to have been popularized over the past 100 years."

Changes of the sentences:

> Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, Iranian Persian: [noːˈɾuːz],[x] lit. 'New Day') is the Persian New Year and the holiday has been celebrated for over 2,000 years having its origins and spread of influence by the ancient Persian empires. It is now celebrated today by many communities across Western and Central Asia and beyond.

> The roots of Nowruz originated with the ancient Persians, particularly during the Achaemenid and Sassanian era. It is both deeply rooted in Persian culture and Zoroastrianism. The first evidence of Nowruz would be the historical texts of the Greeks on which the Achaemenid Persians were celebrating with a huge party.

> Haft Sin has its origins with the ancient Persians of the Sassanian empire.

Reliable sources:

https://cmes.fas.harvard.edu/files/NowruzCurriculumText.pdf (says it originates with the Persian people, at that time none of the ethnic groups were there at the time)

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nowruz ( Shows that Nowruz is basically Persian with most pointing to the Sassanian empire, and that the local Persian population in the Persian regions of Iran after the Islamic conquest did it mostly, that's why only Persians was called fire worshippers and not other groups)

Let me know if you need more explanation or sources. I can say the Avesta as well but it's hard to cite it.

Regards,

A Persian Persianprincess416 (talk) 18:25, 22 March 2025 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 19:43, 22 March 2025 (UTC)

Heyy I mentioned the sentences for "2.)" it's in quotations and all the reliable sources ag in "3.)" I'll re edit it right now Persianprincess416 (talk) 18:29, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

Please follow the steps of creating edit requests (by reading WP:EDITXY) so that it's easier for both me and you to do 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 18:37, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

Hey I have re-edited and tried to copy the way it did it. Is this okay to read? I have added the category and sections and labels to make it easier too Persianprincess416 (talk) 23:56, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

@Persianprincess416 I've restored the word "Persian" to the lead section which I think I've accidentally removed. As for the other stuff, its content is cited with reliable sources and can not be removed from the article. 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 00:11, 24 March 2025 (UTC)

Thank you!! because I see people always try to replace Persian New Year as Iranian New Year. I rather it be strictly Persian New Year in the lead because nobody in real life or any of the sources you guys have, lists it as Iranian New Year

For the other stuff that's true, but Nowruz customs does has its origins in Persian culture with it as well which is what I mean. It's best to say Nowruz has its roots in Persian and Zoroastrianism, The sources also proved it. For haft sin, it's shown that Sassanian had it but with wine :). I feel like nobody really acknowledges it because they never point it out 166.48.18.140 (talk) 05:54, 24 March 2025 (UTC)

Request to restore "Persian" alongside "Iranian" in lead and relevant sections

I am requesting a revision to the lead sentence and relevant sections of the article to restore the term "Persian" alongside "Iranian" in the description of Nowruz. This is based on reliable academic sources and reflects a more historically accurate, balanced, and neutral formulation.

Proposed Lead Sentence

> Nowruz (literally “new day” in Persian) is the Persian and Iranian New Year, rooted in ancient Iranian traditions and historically formalised by Persian empires. It is celebrated today by many communities across Western and Central Asia and beyond.

Rationale

The current lead omits the word "Persian" entirely, which diminishes the well-documented role of Persian culture, language, and imperial institutions in shaping the Nowruz tradition. While Nowruz indeed has ancient Iranian roots and is celebrated by many non-Persians today, reliable sources consistently describe it as the *Persian New Year* and trace its development through Persian dynasties and Persian-language traditions.

Key points:

• The term Nowruz is Persian, derived from Middle and New Persian (nōg rōz = “new day”).
• Persian empires (e.g., Achaemenid, Sasanian) institutionalised Nowruz as a court ritual, with public audiences, tax remissions, and ceremonial practices at the spring equinox.
• Persianate dynasties in the Islamic era (e.g., Buyids, Samanids, Safavids) preserved and expanded the festival’s cultural role.
• Persian literature (e.g., Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh) mythologises Nowruz via the legend of King Jamshid.
• Academic and encyclopedic sources routinely refer to Nowruz as the *Persian New Year*, while also acknowledging its broader Iranian and transnational observance.These include Britannica, Iranica, and peer-reviewed academic sources.

This edit would not imply exclusivity but would reflect the dual identity of Nowruz as both an Iranian and Persian festival, consistent with neutral scholarly usage.

[EDIT: Removed section in my request requesting reinstatement of an additional section, as I just noticed that much more than this was deleted: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nowruz&diff=next&oldid=1281787465&diffonly=1]

This edit discarded many well-established Persian cultural references etc. But as the content was mixed up with 'The coincidence of Nowruz and Ramadan', the subject content and references were undermined by the editor, and "the baby was thrown out with the bath water" as they say. Needless to say, there is endless supply of academic and recent media content to rewrite this lost content back in.

For the time being to make this request easier to process and interpret, the scope has been narrowed to only focus on the leading sentences.]

Supporting Reliable Sources

EDIT: I've updated these as unfortunately, I just realised that some articles have been moved/lost from the last time I googled/accessed them.

• Encyclopaedia Iranica – “Nowruz I” by Mary Boyce: https://iranicaonline.org/articles/nowruz-i
• Encyclopaedia Iranica – “Nowruz II” by Ahmad Ashraf: https://iranicaonline.org/articles/nowruz-ii
• Encyclopaedia Britannica – Nowruz entry: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Noruz
• Khodadad Rezakhani – *East Iran in Late Antiquity* (Routledge): [attempting to locate direct link]
• National Geographic – “Everything you need to know about Nowruz, Persian New Year”: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-is-nowruz-persian-new-year-food
• Al Jazeera – “Nowruz 2025: Traditions, Haft-sin, and celebrations of the Persian New Year”: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/20/nowruz-2025-traditions-haft-sin-and-celebrations-of-the-persian-new-year

Final Comments

Using both "Persian" and "Iranian" reflects scholarly consensus, preserves historical context, and adheres to Wikipedia’s policies on neutrality and verifiability. It accurately distinguishes between:

• The linguistic and cultural origin of Nowruz (Persian),
• The ethno-linguistic breadth of its observance (Iranian peoples),
• And its modern international scope.

I recommend reinstating "Persian" in the lead sentence and section, effectively undoing this edit that was conducted with a sweeping statement: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nowruz&diff=prev&oldid=1281787465&diffonly=1

Thanks! drumdigoxin Drumdigoxin (talk) 23:40, 22 March 2025 (UTC)