This weekend thousands of people in Toronto and around the world will celebrate their New Year. Navroze or the New Day, which falls on March 21, is celebrated as the first day of spring. For people of Persian origin, the day is very auspicious as it is March equinox - a day when the sun will be directly over the equator, distributing equal sunlight to the northern and southern hemispheres.
Celebrating Navroze is also a part of a 3000-year-old legacy dating back to 6th century B.C., when great kings like Cyrus and Darius ruled the Persian Empire. In Toronto, hundreds of Zoroastrians, whose ancestors originated from ancient Iran, will gather this Sunday at the community's meeting place, at the Darbe Mehr located at 3590 Bayview Ave., at Steeles Avenue. The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. with a long ritualistic thanksgiving prayer or Jashan, conducted by several priests thanking the Lord for his merciful bounty.The festivities will truly begin, as friends and family wish one another "Navroze Mubarak" translated to "May the year be filled with good luck and cheer", even as they indulge in a gastronomical delight of traditional Zoroastrian food.The party does not stop here as many Zoroastrians take the festivities back home partying into the wee hours of the morning. As well, a bigger celebration for the youth of the community is also been planned.On March 27, the Darbe Mehr will host an event of entertainment including a karaoke and talent competition. This will be followed by a dinner and dance as well. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. at the temple on Bayview Avenue.Toronto is a special and unique place for Zoroastrians of the world. In fact, it is the only city outside of Mumbai, India, that houses the largest group of Zoroastrians. We in Toronto now have over 6,000 of them living here.The Zoroastrians of India, also called the Parsis, have a special relationship with India. Centuries ago, several Zoroastrian families fled Iran after being persecuted by the Arabs and took refuge in India.The Indian kings at the time, allowed them to follow their strict religion in India, and to this day, the Parsis have their special temples and housing colonies, which only house people from their tiny community. In India as in Toronto, many Zoroastrians celebrate Navroze traditionally. Those who do so, will have a huge table in their house decorated with several things. First, there will be a copy of the Holy scriptures- the Gathas, besides a lit lamp. The table will also have a plate with sprouted wheat (that denotes prosperity), and flowers (for colour). A silver coin (for wealth), painted eggs (for productivity), sweets and rosewater (for sweetness and happiness) also adorns the table. Finally, one also puts seven foods beginning with the letters 'sh' and 'sa' to symbolise creation.But Toronto gets Zoroastrians not only from India but also those from Pakistan, and even some from the ancient motherland, Iran. Interestingly though, it's not just the Zoroastrians that celebrate Navroze. In fact, many communities in Central Asia, Northwestern China, Albania, Bosnia and Serbia also enjoy this day. I learned of this fact soon after I moved to Toronto when an Afghan friend I had made shortly after arriving in Canada wished me a Happy Navroze and invited me for a Navroze lunch with her family. As Toronto is a melting pot of so many cultures it is really amazing to see Navroze celebrated by so many communities in different parts of the world paying homage to this beautiful day. To offer your feedback on this column or suggest future column ideas, contact Rakshande.italia@gmail.com