CELEBRATING SPRING EQUINOX, THE PERSIAN NO-ROOZ NEW YEAR

For Persians, the first day of Spring, March 21, is the celebration of No-rooz  (Nowruz) "A New Day".  This day is the Equinox when the sun is observed directly over the equator and sunlight is divided evenly between the north and south hemispheres. This is the first day of the year in the Iranian calendar. It began as a Zoroastrian holiday and has significance for modern Iranians, but it's also celebrated in parts of South Asia as well. No-rooz is believed to have been started by Zoroaster himself, although there is no date of origin.

Symbol of Zoroaster

It is also a holy day for Sufis, Ishmalis and adherents of the Baha'i faith. The Jewish feast of Purim is probably adopted from the Persian New Year. It was celebrated as far back as the Achaemednids dynasty (598-330 BC) when Kings from different nations came to bring gifts to the King of Kings (Shahanshah) of Persia. Following the Iranian Revolution, the Islamic regime of Iran tried to suppress No-rooz. The Ayatollahs considered it to be a pagan holiday. During the reign of the Taliban it was also banned in Afghanistan.

No-rooz starts with the cleansing of houses and purchase of new clothes, but the major part of the rituals are setting up the "haft Seen" with seven specific items starting with "S". These are Seeb (apple) Sabze (green grass) Serke ( vinegar) or instead Somagh, an Iranian spice, Samanoo (a meal of wheat) Senjed ( a special berry) Sekke (coin) and Seer (garlic). These all have symbolic meanings.

At the No-rooz celebration I attended on Sunday, there were many tables set up with  traditional foods and items. The school gym where it was held was crowded with people greeting each other with hugs and kisses, everyone in a happy New Years spirit.

A calligraphy artist was writing people's names in Parsi so I asked if he could write mine too.

"Ruth" (read from the right)

In the auditorium we were entertained with singers, spoken word (all in Parsi) stories and poetry and folk dancers.

And belly dancers!

When I was asked by friends why there were belly dancers when in Iran women must were burqas, the reason is that before the Ayatollahs regime, Iranian women had freedoms similar to ours.  When I watched these beautiful women dance I couldn't help but remember how during Alexander the Great's time, the Soghdian princess, Roxana, had danced for him.  It's easy to see how he was so captivated that he married her!

The celebration of No-rooz is often centered on fire and part of the rituals of No-rooz is to leap over a bonfire. This is still practiced as part of the No-rooz festivities. This is a purification rite. People young and old leap over fires with songs of merriment. Translated,the traditional greeting they chant is "I will give you my yellow color (sign of sickness) and you give me your fiery red color (sign of healthiness).

WALKS WITH RUTHAKI #2: DOWN AT THE BAY

It was an overcast day when I set off for my Sunday walk today.  I headed down to the Bay in the West End.  English Bay is one of Vancouver's most popular spots any time of year.  In the summer it's a busy beach scene and in other seasons it's a good place to relax, talk a walk, jog, in-line-skate or cycle.  The sea-wall that circles Stanley Park extends along the beach front as far as Sunset Beach just past English Bay.

As you approach the Bay and foreshore park you'll see a group of bronze laughing men at the corner.  These are part of the public art displays you'll see around the city.  I stop and check them out.  Always worth a chuckle or two.

Sun Dial

I never fail to discover new things when I'm walking.  Today, in spite of having been by here hundreds of times, I actually stopped to read the plaques around the Sun Dial and found that it is a dedication to 3 the greenhorns who staked the first land claim in this spot in 1862 at a time when this was all forested area. 

Sylvia Hotel



I headed down the sea wall walking west past the venerable Sylvia Hotel, a heritage building built in 1912, one of Vancouver's famous landmarks.  

Ships in English Bay

The day was cloudy and cool.  Out on the bay there was the usual fleet of tankers at anchorage.  It took just half an hour to walk from  English Bay to my favorite summer-time spot, Second Beach.  This is where I spend many leisurely hours in the summer, especially in the swimming pool.  It's also a good place to lounge or play on the sandy beach.  In the park nearby there are children's play areas and picnic tables under the trees.

Second Beach

There's a concession stand at Second Beach so I stopped for a coffee before heading back along the trail toward Lost Lagoon.  This time, I didn't walk along the Lagoon, but took the upper trail along the Rhododendron Garden.  There were actually a few in blossom.

Early Rhodies in Bloom 



It wasn't until I started out of the Park that I began to see more signs of Spring.  And when I got to Barclay Street, there were the cherry blossoms I was looking for! 



Perhaps by next week there's be more signs of Spring.  So why not come along with me on one of my Sunday walks?

WALKS WITH RUTHAKI #1: WALK, JOG, CYCLE, SKATE: The Stanley Park Seawall

Last weekend I went on my first long sea-wall walk in Stanley Park.  It doesn’t matter what kind of weather, you’ll always find walkers, joggers, cyclists and in-line skaters on seawall. It was the first spring-like weekend of the year and a good day for a brisk tour around one of Vancouver's most popular walks.

I started my walk from the Park entrance, walking along by the Yacht Club, going east toward Brockton Point.
The Stanley Park seawall is 8.8 kms  (5.5 mi) so I don't usually attempt the whole circuit. People have been enjoying this seaside path since 1917 but it wasn’t until the mid ‘70’s when the walk was properly surfaced making it an easier route for walkers, joggers and cyclists. The seawall loop around Stanley Park is one of Vancouver’s most popular locations to enjoy the outdoors. The path is divided making it easier and safer for pedestrians and those on wheels. Remember to check the park map for signs indication direction as cyclists can only go in a counter-clockwise direction.

There are interesting sights along the way and benches lining the path if you need to pause for a rest. You might also consider a horse-drawn carriage ride around the Park which is loads of fun.  You can also rent bikes.

Be sure and stop to see the totem poles at the Brockton Point Oval. And past that is the famous 9-o'clock gun that booms out over Coal Harbour to mark the time every night.  There's also the historic Dead Man's Island, now the naval reserve, but once a First Nations burial ground.  Next you'll come to the Brockton Point Lighthouse.  In the early settlement days, there was a small village near here where ship-jumpers lived with their native wives. 

This part of the walk will take you all the way around to Lumberman’s Arch.  This was once the site of a First Nations village. There's a children's water-park here and even though there wasn't water to frolic in, there were plenty of kids enjoying fun on the adventure equipment there.

 From here you can cut back through the park to the entrance. There are refreshment stands at Brockton Point, Lumberman’s Arch, and by the Aquarium if you want to take a coffee or snack break. You'll also find washroom facilities there.

I stopped on the beach here for my first picnic of the season and rested awhile enjoying the view of the snow-capped mountains of North Vancouver and the busy waterway of Burrard Inlet and the inner harbour.

From here I walked back through the park on a quest to find cherry blossoms, but because of the late season there weren't any in bloom around the Japanese memorial for WWI.  I stopped at the Aquarium to view the Belugas in their outdoor pool.  Then I walked along the trails to the Pavilion and bus depot.

On my next Sunday sea-wall walk I'll take a different route.  There's lots to see in the Park and it makes for a relaxing, refreshing afternoon to enjoy the day on the sea-wall.
Bike and Rollerblade rentals are located near Denman and Georgia St.

Stanley Park Cycle: 768 Denman St. 604-688-0087

Stanley Park Rentals: 1798 W. Georgia St. 604-688-5141

For a map of the seawall: http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley