Now Roz: Festival of the Red Flower By Dr. G. Rauf Roashan April-June 1998 Lemar-Aftaab This article is written for every one interested in Afghan culture and especially for the Afghan youth to read, understand, research, inquire and to be proud of their history and national traditions. The intent of this work is to let the youth know that Afghanistan is more than 5000 years old and boasts of a culture deeply rooted in history.. Historical relics confirm the existence of social life more than twenty thousand years ago in present day Afghanistan . The Aryan race, who according to the legend migrated south from the nothern steppes of centeral Asia to the vast plains of central Asia and later on both sides of the River Oxus. These Aryans were also among the first who tamed animals and planted food. Around 5000 years ago. They built the first city just south of the Oxus in northern Afghanistan. The city was called Bakhdi and it had tall towers and flew colorful flags on its high walls. Much later, the Arab historians called it the mother of cities. Today, it is called Balkh. The dwellers of Balkh flourished within the haven of their high walled bastion. Urban comforts let them cherish cultural achievements in the form of a religion founded by one of its sons, Zoroaster of Balkh. Long before the advent of Islam, Zoroaster's religion preached faith in a single God, Ahuramzda, the creator of the universe, and belief in the eternity of the soul. Its slogans of good thought, good deed and good speech were the very first social rules for its followers. This religion focused on joy and happiness and eschewed sorrow and unhappiness. It also preached that once a year the souls of the ancestors came down to visit those left on earth and wanted the people to prepare for the occasion and to allow the visitors to find joy, happiness and cleanliness everywhere. Fire and light were sacred and since the source of the light, the Sun, was the origin of time, their solar calendar began with the first day of spring. The solar year, with 365 days and six hours, was divided into twelve thirty-day months. There were five days left at the end of the year and before the advent of the new year which were allotted for preparation of the celebration. During these days, the Aryans cleaned their homes, prepared new clothes and gathered the best of food and fruits to be offered to the visiting souls of the ancestors. A special drink brewed from the purest herb roots and called Soma was also prepared for the occasion. The Aryans were well versed in music and dance and thus they would come out from the winter to meet the spring, and the new year with joy, happiness, songs and dances. So it was for centuries and generations. The advent of Islam and its expansion eastward into Afghanistan and beyond deeply affected every aspect of life in the conquered lands. Military domination was replaced by cultural influence. Arab culture, language and ways of life struggled to replace those in the conquered countries. But the tradition of Now Roz, the new day, continued to exist. In recent decades, a new trend was adopted in which the Now Roze was given a religious touch in Afghanistan. This mixed the celebration of Now Roze at least at two cities in Afghanistan, Kabul and Mazar, with the hoisting of the banner at Hazrat Ali's shrines. Even then, the ancient tradition of Now Roz and the upholding of the status of the farmer overshadowed the religious significance belatedly attached to this day. This had many reasons. For one thing, throughout history, Afghans have valued their age old traditions so much so that many of the invaders and conquerors were forced to adapt to the country's culture rather than purely imposing their own. On the other hand, the 21st of March, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, speaks for itself. On this day you can feel, smell, hear, see and touch the Spring in many parts of Afghanistan. The vast pastures of northern Afghanistan seem to be covered by a colorful carpet of wild flowers. Wild tulips and poppies and daisies and violets sprout out among the green grass to proudly and colorfully announce the advent of Spring. The whitest of snow melts down from the mountains forming rivulets of crystal clear water flowing down toward the valleys. And at times, refreshing soft rain comes down from amidst white clouds that dot the bluest of skies from valleys and foothills, so high and so close to the heavens, that you got the feeling of living in it. These were some of the things that existed before Islam came into Afghanistan and thus could not be turned into a religious event. In the city of Kabul, where I was born and grew up, Now Roz was observed with a tremendous amount of jubilation. The Kabul valley which is like a bowl surrounded by the branches of the mighty Hindu Kush is subdivided by two majestic mountains, Asa-Mayee and Shair Darwaza. In olden days, most of Kabul was located at the foot hills of these mountains and thus the mountain ridges and slopes constituted the play grounds of Kabuli children. In Now Roz, picnics were held around these two land marks. Juba on the east slope of Shair Darwaza and Sakhi Jan on the southwest of Asa Mayee. Kabulis would wear new or clean and colorful garbs and with a high spirit of jubilation, accompanied by their families and friends go to these picnic areas, choose a natural step on the slope, kindle the charcoal in their samovars, cook meals on charcoal stoves and eat sweets and dried fruits and from the heights watch the city of Kabul as she awoke from under a blanket of snow to look into the spring. The picnic area thoroughfares were lined with make shift food stores, where, in huge pans on burning wood, fish were being fried and sweets prepared afresh for sale to the jubilant customers. There were also the sellers who sold from large trays cheese and raisins and or boiled eggs, boiled and specially prepared peas and potatoes sauced with special formula vinegar and spices. In flat areas downhill, merry-go-rounds, wooden horses and tens of toy shops selling wooden and metal toys were located and the untiring children would frequent rounds of the plays and buy the noisiest of toys including the wooden rattlers the sounds of which mixed with the joyous sonority of the day. And there was kite flying contests where some of the most beautifully constructed kites would be flown by expert flyers who used special formulas over a period of weeks to treat the string with which they flew their kites and would entangle the strings of the flying kites with that of their rival until such a time that one string broke. The kite that remained flying was the winner. On the night of Now Roz, the Kabulis ate Sabzi Chalau with the meat of the white rooster. They also prepared another special dish, Samanak, made from the sprouts of very young wheat germs grown on special trays. Samanak was prepared overnight by groups of young maidens who cooked it over burning wood fire in big pans and sang songs of Now Roz. Also many of the believers went to the shrine of Hazrath Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam, at the foothill of Shair Darwaza paying homage to his memory. Many people would try to pass through the split rock located near the shrine. Those who passed easily were considered innocent and those who experienced difficulty in passing through were called sinners. In the northern city of Mazar-Sharif where one of the most beautiful buildings, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, houses the mythically believed grave of Hazrat Ali, too, thousands of Afghans gathered to watch the banner hoisting ceremonies. But the traditional attraction of the observation of Now Roz in that city was the festival of the Red Flower Picnic. In Now Roz and following into the month of April, the wide plains of northern Afghanistan bloom with hundreds of thousands of wild flowers including the red tulip and poppies and thus the name of the Red Flower Festival. The majestic view of these wide open areas in the prairie in northern Afghanistan covered with a carpet of flowers was out of this world. It is for the Afghans to keep the tradition alive and celebrate their new year in line with their customs and make it a point to observe the day with joy and pave the grounds for a new year of happiness, peace, friendship and reconciliation in a country in ruins. Also by Dr. G. R. Roashan Beauty Before Age: A Cultural Consideration (Oct-Dec. 97) Copyright © 1998 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.