Learn from evergreen trees
Yalda is one of the few celebrations in the world that is thousands of years old. This festive event has gone through many highs and lows. And more than any other Iranian festivity, it has been targeted by oppressors who detest joy, music, and celebration, those who cannot even stand the sight of the cypress tree that the pre-Islamic Iranians beautifully decorated every year.
The Persians loved plants, especially the evergreen cypress and pine trees, because of their extraordinary interest in nature (and the fact that in ancient Persia, political and religious leaders encouraged them to preserve nature). They could see that these trees were resilient, standing tall, green, and proud in the face of snow, storms, and cold as winter cold blew through the land, and that these magnificent trees welcome spring in short time with freshness and joy.
It is not a surprise that the cypress has played a prominent role in all of our history: in stories, in rituals, in poetry and literature and art, in architecture and reliefs and inscriptions, and on fabrics and carpets.
I believe it is quite clear that the custom of hanging colorful and cheerful cloths (fabrics and materials) on ancient trees, to which people still adhere to in corners of Iran, is a continuation of the same ancient ritual of decorating cedar and pine trees on the occasion of Yalda. All of these rituals have changed over the last few centuries because during different times, people have been fearful of religious zealots and fanatical leadership.
However, today people who decorate trees come from many different cultural and religious backgrounds. It is good that centuries before the Arab invasion, our evergreen tree and the ritual of decorating the tree was exported to Europe with the followers of Mehr, or Mithra. In Europe the practice and rituals of decorating an evergreen tree was adopted by the Christians and to this day, around the same time as Yalda, in the houses and streets of many countries around the world, this beautiful and glorious tradition is practiced and celebrated. Although as Iranians we have been deprived of the gift of Yalda cypresses in our homes and streets for centuries, we fortunately still celebrate Yalda. Despite the oppression, this beautiful festive date with its green cypress has been engraved in our hearts and mind.
Yalda’s tradition has been with us for a long time, with its enduring light, joy, and the thought of its evergreen, even when they changed the name to “Chelleh.” Even when we have been forced to gather in the corners of our houses for this celebration of sun and love, instead of celebrating it with dancing and singing in public streets and alleyways. Let’s celebrate with pride and joy and away from the eyes of oppression.
Unfortunately, this year, on the eve of the great Yalda, the people of Iran are experiencing immense suffering, pain, and darkness. Both the pandemic and the monster of darkness and tyranny of the Islamic government has fallen on our land. But it is at this time that Yalda reminds us to learn from the evergreens and t0 attain enlightenment. It is not solely our spring of love, but also our wish for future generations’ of happiness and freedom that our people truly deserve.
Next to the Yalda’s ornamented and adorned cypress tree, I wish everyone happiness and a spring of freedom illuminating our land to come.
Desember 20. 2020
Celebrate
Celebrating Cyrus day, even virtually
This year is the 16th year that the people of Iran, both within and outside of the country, celebrate October 29th (Aban 7th on the Iranian Calendar) as “Cyrus the Great Day.” The day coincides with the arrival of Cyrus in Babylon and the issuance of a charter within which, for the first time, human rights were stated.
In the early years of “Cyrus the Great Day,” many people from all over Iran went to Pasargadae and celebrated, marking the day with dancing and singing. (Pasargad is the Tomb of Cyrus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
However, the Islamic Republic of Iran, which only celebrate sadness, and at the same time cannot bear to honor a great leader who is the first flag-bearer of religious freedom in the world, has instead been using cannons, tanks, guns, and threats for several years. Recently, the threat of imprisonment has prevented people from going to Pasargadae.
In recent years, however, people have come to celebrate Cyrus’ Day on the roads leading to Pasargadae, or in schools, universities, private halls, or even in their own homes. And these celebrations have been getting bigger every year.
Fortunately, in the last three or four years, people in other countries in addition to the people of Iran have also started to celebrate the day of Cyrus. The people of Tajikistan, for example, have been more diligent than any other country, because, unlike the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Tajik government is vigilant and observant in encouraging the people to celebrate on this special occasion.
It is a perfectly timely and natural reaction for the people in the lands once ruled by Cyrus the Great to realize now, centuries later, the exceptional values of his character, and to pay homage to him on different occasions. It is true that man today cannot live up to the standards of his past. Every sensible and rational human being can inevitably make a logical comparison between the orders and behaviors of Cyrus the Great (2550 years ago), and the brutal behavior and reactionary orders of the Islamic government in Iran in the 21 st century. Hundreds of years apart, the two are completely different
governments: one (Cyrus’s government) gave people the right to choose their faith and religion, transformed their citizens’ lives from unconscious beings to human beings with rights and decisions, and the other (today) deprives people of their simplest and most basic human rights.
It is clear that due to the pandemic and COVID-19 this year it is not possible to easily gather anywhere, without taking into account all mandated health precautions and restrictions. But fortunately we are in a time with the most advanced digital and media systems and we can use these to facilitate us wherever we are and to hold the day of Cyrus the Great in the most beautiful way, even if it is just done simply.
Today, while many people have lost loved ones and might have endured difficult times, we remember the great leadership Cyrus the Great showed to his citizens and the people of the world.
The Pasargad Heritage Foundation proposed years ago this day as the day to celebrate Cyrus the Great, and is once again asking everyone to celebrate today as a reminder of our common civil struggle against
oppression and tyranny.
Wishing you health and joy
Shokooh Mirzadegi
Pasargad Heritage Foundation
www.savepasargad.com
Statement from the Pasargad Heritage Foundation Mehregan: a message of love and enlightenment
Statement from the Pasargad Heritage Foundation
Mehregan: a message of love and enlightenment
(10th – 16th Mehr – 1st – 7 h October)
Mehrgaan : Painting by Nestor Rakhshani
We are now on the eve of one of the largest celebrations in the world, the Mehregan celebration, which dates back thousands of years.
Mehregan is a nonreligious and apolitical celebration which to this day remains a symbol of beauty and new beginnings, as it carries a compassionate and cherished message.
Mehregan fosters a message of love and enlightenment, and for this reason it is known as “the Day of Love” in Iranian culture. It is also a day of commemoration for “fulfillment of the covenant,” because in our ancient culture, breaking the promise or pledge was considered deceitful and destructive as one of the worst sins.
Another important aspect of Mehregan, like other Iranian celebrations, is its secularity. During Mehregan, all people, regardless of gender, faith, religion, or race can be together, celebrating and sharing their joy.
Unfortunately for the last forty-two years, due to the dominance of an anti-Iranian culture and religious government, Iranians have not been able to hold and celebrate their national and non-religious celebrations easily, yet these festivities deserve to be celebrated in Iran.
This year, in particular because of challenges and problems from the pandemic and COVID-19, people have had more difficulty holding celebrations, even for Iranians abroad, therefore severely reducing and limiting the celebration of Mehregan and other annual events.
The Pasargad Heritage Foundation, like every year, asks the friends of Iranian culture to participate in the Mehregan celebration and to help preserve and spread its invaluable messages however possible.
This year our advice to lovers of Iranian culture, especially young people, is to use the internet and social media and to celebrate Mehregan with new initiatives and in a virtual way.
And let us not forget, in every Iranian celebration and ritual, to honor the memories of the martyrs and prisoners in Iran who have been fighting for freedom, so as to give more meaning and honor to our celebrations by remembering them and their names.
With kindness and joy,
Shokooh Mirzadegi
Pasargad Heritage Foundation
September 24, 2020
www.savepasargad.com
World Humanitarian Day 19 August
Providing life-saving support during the pandemic.
On World Humanitarian Day (WHD) August 19, the world commemorates humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and we honour all aid and health
workers who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need.
This year World Humanitarian Day comes as the world continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic over recent months. Aid workers are overcoming unprecedented access hurdles to assist people in humanitarian crises in 54 countries, as well as in a further nine countries which have been catapulted into humanitarian need by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This day was designated in memory of the 19 August 2003 bomb attack on the Canal
Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 22 people, including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio
Vieira de Mello. In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly formalized the day as
World Humanitarian Day.
International Day of Friendship, July 30th
Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace,
security, development and social harmony among the world’s peoples.
To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by
promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.
Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.
Background
The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General
Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and
individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in
community activities that include different cultures and promote international
understanding and respect for diversity.
To mark the International Day of Friendship the UN encourages governments,
international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and
initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting
a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by
UNESCO defining the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that
reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. It was then adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1997.
A Day For Celebration of Nature April 1, 2020
Sizde-be-dar is an Iranian festival, celebrated in the thirteenth day of Nowruz (Iranian New year and first of Spring).
Ancient Iranian believed Sizde-be-dar is a day for celebration of nature
Iranians have a tradition of spending and enjoyed the day outdoors.
Year 1399: The Year of National Solidarity for the Rescue of Iran and Iranians
Each year, the Pasargad Heritage Foundation proposes a name for the coming Persian New Year, on the eve of Iran’s most significant holiday and national celebration. This choice has so far been in the context of the preservation of Iran’s historical and cultural heritage.
The goal of the Pasargad Heritage Foundation is to name the year to remind people of the unique values of Iran’s exquisite culture of wisdom and affection and to pay attention to the destructive, discriminatory, and anti-cultural practices that have been endangering our cultural and natural heritage for the last 41 years.
As everyone is aware, this year is critical in that not only our cultural, historical, and natural heritage are severely threatened, but also our venerable land and all its natural resources are greatly endangered.
Poverty, disease, and natural and man-made disasters, alongside all types of governmental violence, killing, and intentional neglect, put both the lives and livelihood of our people on the brink of disaster and our land on the edge of natural catastrophe.
Iran has been plagued by years of neglect and destruction. Is it possible to even find a
government in our times, even in the most dictatorial countries, a government so ignorant, thoughtless, and uncaring of its own people as we see with the Islamic government in Iran?
Now, when Iran and Iranians need expert, efficient, humanitarian, and kind Iranians to take control of our land, the ruling Islamic Republic of Iran is only ready to step up and crush and endanger lives of these Iranians.
In our view of the current situation, Iranians need national solidarity, the kind that has aided and solidified the future and prospects of the colonized or war-torn countries of the last two centuries after challenging times.
It is now necessary for the people of Iran to strive to help one another to overthrow this cruel, anti-freedom government, in the hopes that these invisible chains will be broken so as to bring light from the current darkness.
In honor of Nowruz, Pasargad Heritage Foundation, which symbolizes the belief in humanity, nature, and the preservation of the physical and psychological values of human life, designates the year 1399 as the “Year of National Solidarity for the Rescue of Iran and Iranians.” This is with the hope that the beautiful humanitarian and patriotic attitudes that have saved Iran and Iranians from destruction many times in history will flourish again and that the Iranian people will survive and triumph amid this critical crisis.
Wishing you a Happy New Year, and looking forward to a prosperous Iran, with happy and healthy people and a vibrant and beautiful atmosphere of freedom.
With kindness,
Shokooh Mirzadegi
Responsible for the executive affairs of the Pasargad Heritage Foundation
March 14, 2020
Happy Nowruz March 21, 2020
Nowruz is first day of Spring and the beginning of the Iranian year . Nowruz is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox , on 20th March or the previous / following day depending on where it is celebrated. Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian people as well as several other countries across Asia including Afghanistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan and many more. The new year starts at the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day or exactly when the Earth has completed one cycle around the Sun.
The celebration has its roots in Ancient Iran. Due to its antiquity, there exist various
foundation myths for Nowruz in Iranian mythology. The Shahnameh dates Nowruz as
far back to the reign of Jamshid, who in Zoroastrian texts saved mankind from a killer
winter that was destined to kill every living creature. In the Shahnameh and Iranian
mythology, Jamshid is credited with the foundation of Nowruz. In the Shahnama,
Jamshid constructed a throne studded with gems. He had demons raise him above the
earth into the heavens; there he sat on his throne like the sun shining in the sky. The
world’s creatures gathered in wonder about him and scattered jewels around him, and
called this day the New Day or Now-Ruz. This was the first day of the month of
Farvardin (the first month of the Persian calendar). On Nowruz, families gather together
to observe the rituals and celebrate the beginning of the new year.
In addition, it is believed that originally the celebration was the holiest Zoroastrian
festival, and Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although
there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era, the official year has begun
with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.
International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in
its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this
holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.
The International Day of Education
The world will celebrate the International Day of Education on 24 January 2020, a day proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to honor education and its entrality to human well-being and sustainable development. The 2020 celebration will position education and the learning it enables as humanity’s greatest renewable resource and reaffirm the role of education as a fundamental right, a public good and an enabler of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will frame ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all’ as a goal in and of itself, as well as a necessary means to accelerate progress to meet the targets of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As the UN organization mandated to lead on education in the 2030 Agenda, UNESCO will draw on its convening power and engage with education and development partners to celebrate the Day around the world by focusing on the many ways learning can empower people, preserve the planet, build shared prosperity and foster peace.The 2020 theme ‘Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace’, highlights the integrated nature of education, its humanistic aims, as well as its centrality to our collective development ambitions. It also gives stakeholders and partners flexibility to tailor the celebration for diverse audiences, a variety of contexts and for priority themes.
A humanistic approach to education implies an integrated approach to the multiple individual and collective purposes of education. Education is at the heart of both personal and community development. Its mission is to help all people develop their talents fully and to realize their creative potentials, including responsibility for their own lives and the capacity to contribute to society. Education is also a powerful catalyst – for combating poverty and inequality, improving health and well-being, and overcoming discrimination. It is the key to achieving gender equality and is vital for peacebuilding and reconciliation. Education initiatives have a proven potential to help marginalized populations gain access to justice that contributes to peaceful societies.
Happy New Year 2020
Happy New Year
Dear friends, supporters, and members of World Cultural Heritage Voices. On behalf of our colleagues and volunteers at WCHV and on the occasion of the New Year, I would like to thank you for your generous support in 2019, which has been so
instrumental in achieving our goals and mission.
We hope that you, as a valued supporter, friend and member of our organization,
continue to play an active role in supporting us to meet our goals in the coming year.
Sincerely,
Shokooh Mirzadegi
Executive Director
12.27.2019
www.wchv.org
