The significance of March for Cymranians

Daffodils and hyacinths (Image: Nature Wallpapers - Desktop Nexus)

One of the joys of being Welsh and Iranian is that you become fond of the month of March.

Why? On the 1st, it is St. David's Day and around the 20th (depending on the precise moment of Spring Equinox), it is Norooz.

St. David's Day is the national day for Wales, marking the death of the country's patron saint in 589AD. Sadly, it isn't classed as a public holiday, though campaigners are still onto it. Many of those familiar with St. David's Day will associate it with Wales's emblems of daffodils, leeks, and traditional costume originally worn by rural Welsh women, still cherished today.

Nonetheless, the Day brings joy, particularly to the younger generations. I remember when I was at school, we'd mark it with the Eisteddfod. In primary school, I was in team Gwent (I thank my brother for reminding me) and in secondary school, I was in team Glyndwr, and yes, the Eisteddfod would get very competitive. Whether it be who performed the best in a drama performance, poetry or cookery, it brought the school together and gave the Day purpose in the fast, modern world. And we would break into song with plenty of hymns to learn.

If you are in Wales on St. David's Day, I strongly recommend you attend one of the parades. I remember one in Cardiff, around 2012, when there were inflatable Sir Tom Jones' and Dame Shirley Basseys flying about, with their music blasting in the background.

Norooz is translated as 'New Day' which is represented as Persian New Year. Believe it or not, Iran do not share the same calendar, as most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar. The people of China, of course, celebrate their own New Year too. You may also see the New Year is spelt in a variety of ways - Nowruz being one of the most common. My personal preference is 'Norooz', though no one is wrong.

Norooz is celebrated over 13 days and it is a public holiday in Iran. It is also celebrated in other nations that were part of the old Persian Empire, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The fun starts on the eve of the Wednesday before with the Charshanbe Suri, where you will see people jumping over bonfires.

And on tables across Iranian households around the world is the haft-seen, the direct translation being seven (haft) the 15th letter of the Farsi alphabet (pronounced 'seen'). On these tables are symbols which demonstrate wishes of prosperity, good health, love, strength, and so on, for ourselves and others. If you are to see said tables, you will most likely see items such as a goldfish in a bowl, hyacinths (Iran's flower), coins, garlic and a copy of the Qu'ran.

If you were to ask an Iranian what year it is, most will say it is now 1399, however, this wasn't always the case. The current date system was introduced in 1925, replacing the Jalali calendar which was largely masterminded by the great Omar Khayyam nearly 1,000 years earlier. Regardless, next year will mark a new century, and much larger celebrations than this year will most certainly take place, as unfortunately this Norooz has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic.

As someone who celebrates both, I am pretty pleased they fall on the same month. For Cymranians, the month of March seems right. It comes just after the dark and dreary winter months, the days are getting longer and with that comes a sense of reflection, perspective and optimism. Daffodils and hyacinths thrive during these weeks and with Easter around the corner, i.e., further celebrations (which would mean almost nothing to people in Iran), you know the door is open for the good times to roll, even during times of great uncertainty.

Wikipedia gives you a good, further, introductory insight into St. David's Day and Norooz.