KARACHI, March 20: It’s time to celebrate Nauroz — the day of the vernal equinox marking the arrival of spring and the beginning of the New Year for members of the very amiable Parsi community, especially those of Iranian origin.

It is a colourful day all right, but only when a visitor reaches the table on which a variety of food items are impeccably placed that he will get a sense of the festivity that is an inseparable part of Nauroz. The air is suffused with the spirit of devotion, houses are beautifully decorated, delectable food is served and guests with smiles on their faces and wearing new clothes are greeted with rosewater and warm embraces. Today, March 21, the Zoroastrians welcome spring in their distinct cultural style. The hope and expectation of a prosperous time ahead is what the community aims for on this auspicious day.

With regard to the date, however, there is something that needs to be touched upon. There is a compound near Empress Market where Parsis have been residing for a long time. An elegant old lady, Shanaz Makujina, is one of them. Talking to Dawn, she shed light on the background of the Persian New Year. “Nauroz is about the spring equinox. It was celebrated in Iran years and years ago. It is a kind of a celebration of spring. According to it, March 21 is the beginning of a new year. We came away from Iran and there was some miscalculation in dates. We now celebrate it in the month of August. I personally believe it is March 21. We also call it Jamshedi Nauroz (reference to Persian king Jamshed during whose tenure Nauroz celebrations took root).

“Iranian Parsis celebrate it by laying out the table, putting seven kinds of food all of which start with the letter S. I don’t remember their names. Guests are welcomed by sprinkling rosewater and applying tilak on them. Later they go to the Agiari (fire temple) where they pray,” said Ms Makujina uttering each word clearly and eloquently like a scholar.

Homai D. Irani lives in the same compound. An extremely affable 61-year-old lady, she came from Iran more than 40 years back. In her endearing Urdu, peppered with English words here and there, she looked eager to tell her guests about the big occasion. “You see this plateful of dried fruit. This is for blessings. Everything on the table here is to seek blessings for a prosperous new year. At around 4pm in the evening, the celebrations will begin. I have decorated the door to my flat with chowk (coloured powder). Then when the guests enter my house, I will sprinkle rosewater on them. Some people like to offer their guests biryani, some boiled eggs and some paneer (cheese).

“You see this thaali (platter)? It has the photograph of our prophet Zarathustra, a copy of the holy book, lemon, coconut, rice, garlic, salt, vinegar, a spool of thread, rosewater sprinkler, etc. You can fill it up with other things as well. This I will put somewhere higher on a rack, and it is too to get blessings for the year that has arrived, to be specific for better rozi roti (regular supply of food),” said Ms Irani.