Not all Santas come during the Winter. No, I am not talking about the Easter Bunny or Great Pumpkin. For today’s version of Santa Claus, we head to Iran during the verge of the first day of Spring.
Our main character is called Amu Nowruz. He appears on the day of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. Thus Amu Nowruz’s name literally translates as ‘Uncle New Year.’
Amu Nowruz appears with a controversial black-face character known as Haji Furuz. Haji Furuz is a sort of Iranian minstrel, who parades the streets begging for money while banging his tambourine.
The spring equinox marks a special time of romantic tragedy, The Iranian New Year is the only time that Amu Nowruz and his wife Nane Samra are able to be reunited. That’s because Samra is the daughter of a frost deity and Nowruz is a descendant of fair weather beings. Imagine their love story as if Romeo & Juliet was penned by Mother Nature.
Amu Nowruz is depicted as elderly silver haired gentleman who wears a beat-up Astrakhan hat and carries a long staff and cloak. Excited to be reunited with his bride, Amu Nowruz brings presents for the kiddies he meets on his way to his annual day-long rendezvous. The pair regale the children with the story of Nowruz before the ill-fated lovers must part once again for another 364 days.
I have a heart for Iran and it’s people. Several of my cousins are from Iran. They were smuggled out of that country by the great-uncle after which I am named, on the cusp of the Ayatollah overthrowing the American backed country. And that’s where I am sharing a holiday tradition from my family.
Every year, the mother of my cousins would make her family’s traditional baklava. More of a pastry that cookie, it’s still really delicious. It’s traditionally made with rosewater. But if you can’t find it, vanilla extract will work just as well.
