The first month of Zoroastrian begin with Jamshed E Navroz which is the first day of the year. Unlike English calendar, Parsis follow the Fasli calendar.
With Vernal Equinox, New Year of Parsis begins. There is a lot of excitement going for Parsi New Year commencement. The community indulges in numerous rituals associated with Jamshedi Navroz. Among the celebrations, special prayers are offered, community members greet each other warmly and fixed menu is savoured.
This Parsi festival is celebrated since 3000 years. It started when the legendary king of Persia, Jamshedji ascended the throne on the day of 'Navroz'. The literal meaning of 'Nav' is new whereas 'Roz' refers to day. This day is also a vernal equinox which refers to equal length of day and night. Navroz also signifies winter to summer transition. In the due course of history, this day came to be known as Jamshed Navroz Festival.
This is a very important festival for Parsis. They celebrate it in grandiose fashion. The spirit of happiness, harmony and friendship can be felt throughout the festival. According to history, King Jamshedji was the one who introduced solar calculation into the Persian calendar. The hallmarks of this festival are vernal equinox and advent of spring in February-March. Parsis wear new clothes on this day. They also welcome guests in royal fashion by applying tilak and sprinkling of rosewater.
Apart from new clothes, Parsis also rejoice by wearing their gold and silver caps and kustis. They relish their traditional drink of falooda that is made with milk and flavoured with rose water. Lunch consists of sev and sweet yogurt, followed by pulao. Ravo would be part of the meal. Parsis also visit Fire Temple or Agiary for a special thanks giving prayer called 'Jashan'. Charity is another important part of this festival.
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