Parsi New Year is a national holiday celebrated in India on August 17.
It is also known as 'Jamshed Navroz' after the legendary Persian King, Jamshed who started the Parsi Calendar and Navroz meaning 'new day.
History of Parsi New Year
Parsis practices the Zoroastrian faith and is one of the oldest recognized monotheistic religions. It was established in ancient Iran by the Prophet Zarathustra about 3,500 years ago.
For over 1000 years, it was one of the most important religions in the ancient world. It was Persia's official religion (now Iran) from 650 BCE until the rise of Islam in the 7th century.
Most Zoroastrians fled to areas like Gujarat in India and Pakistan after the Muslim forces conquered Persia. There are approximately 2.6 million Zoroastrians globally today, with the Parsis ('Parsi' being Gujarati for Persian) being the most significant ethnic community in India.
In Iran and other areas of the Middle East, Zoroastrians observed the Persian New Year using the Fasli / Bastnai calendar, which set on the Spring equinox on the first day of the year, typically on March 21. To this day, if not Zoroastrians, this remains a famous holiday, known as Nowruz, observed by many communities and cultures in the region.
Nevertheless, the Parsis celebrate the new year using the Shahenshahi calendar. They do not allow for leap years, indicating that this holiday has already passed from its first day of the vernal equinox by 200 days.
How is Parsi New Year celebrated?
The Parsi New Year is being observed similarly to the one held in Nowruz to welcome a new year, including cleaning houses, fresh clothing, presents, and charitable donations.
Is Parsi New Year a Public Holiday?
The new year Parsi is a free holiday. Jobs and vacation laws in India require workers to pick a certain amount of vacations from the available vacation list. Nevertheless, several workplaces and firms stay open. Many workers may choose to take the day off this day.
The present holiday saw only in 2015-2021 years.
Written by - Anupam Singh
Edited by - Chhavi Gupta
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