Parsees are a very confusing lot. Actually, the parsee and irani community are zorastrians. But most people recognise the word 'parsee' only. As a teacher and a zorastrian, I have always tried to educate my students about the name of the religion, that is 'zorastrianism'. Zorastrians belong to three sects, according to my limited knowledge, faslis, kadmis and shehenshahees.
The faslis celebrate their Nowruz or 'new year', on March 21st, which all other zorastrians also celebrate, but as a 'new day' or a spring festival. The calendar year of the shehenshahee zorastrians, or 'parsees' is celebrated in August, and the kadmi zorastrians or 'iranees', celebrate their calendar new year or 'nowroze' a month earlier, sometime in July.
The last ten days of the old year are called muktad and are dedicated to praying and remembering the dead, by visiting a fire temple and lighting an oil lamp or divo, and dedicating a flowers in a vase, in memory of the dear departed. The last day is called 'papeti' or 'pateti ', and is a day of repentance for all past bad deeds. Nowroze is the new calendar year, and six days after this day, Khordad Saal is celebrated, which is supposed to be the birthday of the prophet Zarathustra. So there are two khordad saals, one celebrated by the kadmi sect and the other by the shehenshahees.
It is during the March Nowroz, that a 'table' is arranged and seven objects that begin with the letter s are displayed for ten days to celebrate the equinox, seb (apple), sabze (sprouted wheat), sirke (vinegar), sir (garlic), surmai (kajaal), sharab (wine), shama (candle), sikkeh (coins), any seven or even more is okay. A mirror, painted eggs, goldfish, and the holy avesta are also displayed on a specially decorated table, to welcome spring, new life and guests, who are welcomed with a sprinkling of rose water and dry fruit or meweh. I recall, my favourite as a child was that we always enjoyed falooda and sweet sev, during these celebrations. My grandmother also made 'seerogh', a type of hand fried flat bread, flavoured with kishmish,, cumin seeds and coriander seeds, which we enjoyed with mint chutney.
Zorastrians decorate the entrances of their homes with fresh flower torans and chalk designs on the floor. Food is a major ingredient of the festivities, and pulao dal, patra-no-machchi, farcha, rotli, custard, ravo, are quite popular on the menu, but nowadays with the numerous world cuisines easily available, any type of 'bharnoo bhonoo' will do, so long as the ladies of the house can enjoy a day out. A few visit a fire temple. Most parsees, celebrate by having a day out to watch any parsee play or 'natak'. And everyone wears new outfits and shows off. Outside agiaries, poor persons beg for pateti baksheesh. And parsees greet their relatives and friends in Canada, New Zealand, UK and Australia.
What makes me frustrated is that, when school students represent the festivals of India, in various handcraft articles, like diyas for divali, wreaths and Xmas trees for christmas, dandiyas for navratri, a half moon and stars for eid, rakhees for raksha bhandhan, etc., but there is nothing to make to represent the parsee navroz festival.
My close acquaintance with colleagues who are christians, hindus, muslims, bohris, has made me aware of how close knit each community is, besides the parsees. Only the parsees who live in a 'colony' become friends, otherwise there are very few occasions on which they can interact, unlike christians who have sunday school, and so many activities revolving around each parish, the bohris and muslims too have regular get togethers and celebrations, but parsees ......................
The faslis celebrate their Nowruz or 'new year', on March 21st, which all other zorastrians also celebrate, but as a 'new day' or a spring festival. The calendar year of the shehenshahee zorastrians, or 'parsees' is celebrated in August, and the kadmi zorastrians or 'iranees', celebrate their calendar new year or 'nowroze' a month earlier, sometime in July.
The last ten days of the old year are called muktad and are dedicated to praying and remembering the dead, by visiting a fire temple and lighting an oil lamp or divo, and dedicating a flowers in a vase, in memory of the dear departed. The last day is called 'papeti' or 'pateti ', and is a day of repentance for all past bad deeds. Nowroze is the new calendar year, and six days after this day, Khordad Saal is celebrated, which is supposed to be the birthday of the prophet Zarathustra. So there are two khordad saals, one celebrated by the kadmi sect and the other by the shehenshahees.
It is during the March Nowroz, that a 'table' is arranged and seven objects that begin with the letter s are displayed for ten days to celebrate the equinox, seb (apple), sabze (sprouted wheat), sirke (vinegar), sir (garlic), surmai (kajaal), sharab (wine), shama (candle), sikkeh (coins), any seven or even more is okay. A mirror, painted eggs, goldfish, and the holy avesta are also displayed on a specially decorated table, to welcome spring, new life and guests, who are welcomed with a sprinkling of rose water and dry fruit or meweh. I recall, my favourite as a child was that we always enjoyed falooda and sweet sev, during these celebrations. My grandmother also made 'seerogh', a type of hand fried flat bread, flavoured with kishmish,, cumin seeds and coriander seeds, which we enjoyed with mint chutney.
Zorastrians decorate the entrances of their homes with fresh flower torans and chalk designs on the floor. Food is a major ingredient of the festivities, and pulao dal, patra-no-machchi, farcha, rotli, custard, ravo, are quite popular on the menu, but nowadays with the numerous world cuisines easily available, any type of 'bharnoo bhonoo' will do, so long as the ladies of the house can enjoy a day out. A few visit a fire temple. Most parsees, celebrate by having a day out to watch any parsee play or 'natak'. And everyone wears new outfits and shows off. Outside agiaries, poor persons beg for pateti baksheesh. And parsees greet their relatives and friends in Canada, New Zealand, UK and Australia.
What makes me frustrated is that, when school students represent the festivals of India, in various handcraft articles, like diyas for divali, wreaths and Xmas trees for christmas, dandiyas for navratri, a half moon and stars for eid, rakhees for raksha bhandhan, etc., but there is nothing to make to represent the parsee navroz festival.
My close acquaintance with colleagues who are christians, hindus, muslims, bohris, has made me aware of how close knit each community is, besides the parsees. Only the parsees who live in a 'colony' become friends, otherwise there are very few occasions on which they can interact, unlike christians who have sunday school, and so many activities revolving around each parish, the bohris and muslims too have regular get togethers and celebrations, but parsees ......................
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