Norouz in Eastern Africa

The sparkling historical record of Iran has played a vital role in influencing many world regions both in culture and civilization. In addition to China, India, Middle Asia, parts of Europe and North Africa, which have been deeply influenced by Iran’s rich cultural and civilized manifestations since old days, Eastern Africa has also included many of our old rituals, traditions and customs through cultural interactions with Iran since the first Islamic centuries. The celebration of the New Year (known in Iran as Norouz) with great ceremonies is one of their traditions. As a matter of fact, Norouz is merely a part of the Iranian culture which has been among the old and abiding inheritances along with the other characteristics of the Iranian culture and civilization such as architecture, Persian words, literature, the Islamic Calendar, common beliefs etc. So it can be said that the cultural domains of this ancient celebration has gone beyond the borders of Iran and even in some distant parts of East Africa, it is honored as a symbol of grace and blessing. This paper studies and surveys the following points; the history of Norouz and how it was introduced in Eastern Africa by Iranians from the city of Shiraz, the particular rituals and customs of celebrating it in the coasts and the islands of Tunisia, Kenya and how this ritual celebration got into the old coastal rituals, in addition to how it is held in Zangibar Island and somehow intermingled with the local and native traditions of there too.