Time—it has been said—is a concept, by which we measure our pain. We’re gonna say it again… time… is a concept… by which we measure… our pain. Now, let’s take that concept (with its accompanying pain) and turn it around. In doing this, we’ve invented celebrations. Some peoples and cultures mark the measurement of time on a seemingly random time-space moment known as January 1st, and others do so on the Spring Equinox. Iran is one of those places, where its people do the latter. Iranians, and other places and cultures, call this celebratory moment, the Nowruz. To help you get familiar with this pain-avoidance mechanism, we bemoan the Nowruz celebration, while embodying Ebenezer Scrooge. So, join us for the “bah! humbuggery!”, and learn a little about the Nowruz, in the process.
Questions we also get answers to in this episode
- What does “bah humbug” mean and how did it become a thing?
- How should you correctly spell Nowruz, in Latin?
- Why do Iranians interchange the terms “Jashn”, (Persian) when they mean “Eyd” (Arabic)?
- What’s the real name of the Shia Muslim sometimes known as the “Time Lord”?
- What do Iranians give as gifts for Nowruz?
- How does the Iranian national anthem sound when sang incorrectly?
Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati
Image credit: Pixelated picture of somebody dressed as Hajji Firuz, created by Ask An Iranian.
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