document_title: Nowruz

question_text: in india who celebrate navroz new year festival

question_tokens: in india who celebrate navroz new year festival

text: Nowruz

text: Etymology[edit]

text: The term Nowruz is a Persian compound word, consisting of the words now and ruz. Now (Old Persian: nava), which means "new" and descends from Proto-Indo-European *néwos, is cognate with English new, German neu, Greek νέος (neos), Latin novus, Russian новый (novyj), and Sanskrit नव (náva). Ruz (Middle Persian: rōz, rōj; Avestan: raocah), which means "day" in Modern Persian, and rok, which means year in some Slavic languages descends from Proto-Iranian *raučah-, itself deriving from Proto-Indo-European *lewk-. The original meaning of the word, however, was "light". It is related to Armenian լույս (luys), English light, Latin lux, Sanskrit रुचि (rúci), and Slovenian luč.[45][46]

text: Regional variations in pronunciation[edit]

text: The Persian pronunciation differs in the many dialects of the language. While the eastern dialects have preserved the diphthong nau (IPA: [næuˈɾoːz]), the western dialects usually pronounce it with the diphthong now (IPA: [nouˈɾuːz]), and some colloquial variants (such as the Tehrani accent) pronounce it with a long monophthong (IPA: [noːˈɾuːz]).

text: Spelling variations[edit]

text: A variety of spelling variations for the word Nowruz exist in English-language usage. Random House (unabridged) provides the spelling Nowruz.[47]

text: Merriam-Webster (2006) recognizes only the spelling "Nauruz" (and a contestant in the final round of the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States, Allion Salvador, was disqualified on that basis).[48][49][50][51]

text: History and origin[edit]

text: Ancient roots[edit]

text: Although it is not clear whether Proto-Indo-Iranians celebrated a feast as the first day of the calendar, there are indications that Iranians may have observed the beginning of both autumn and spring, respectively related to the harvest and the sowing of seeds, for the celebration of the New Year.[52] Mary Boyce and Frantz Grenet explain the traditions for seasonal festivals and comment: "It is possible that the splendor of the Babylonian festivities at this season led the Iranians to develop their own spring festival into an established New Year feast, with the name Navasarda "New Year" (a name which, though first attested through Middle Persian derivatives, is attributed to the Achaemenian period)." Since the communal observations of the ancient Iranians appear in general to have been a seasonal ones, and related to agriculture, "it is probable that they traditionally held festivals in both autumn and spring, to mark the major turning points of the natural year."[52]

text: Nowruz is partly rooted in the tradition of Iranian religions, such as Mitraism and Zoroastrianism. In Mitraism, festivals had a deep linkage with the sun's light. The Iranian festivals such as Mehrgan (autumnal equinox), Tirgan, and the eve of Chelle ye Zemestan (winter solstice) also had an origin in the Sun god (Surya). Among other ideas, Zoroastrianism is the first monotheistic religion that emphasizes broad concepts such as the corresponding work of good and evil in the world, and the connection of humans to nature. Zoroastrian practices were dominant for much of the history of ancient Iran. In Zoroastrianism, the seven most important Zoroastrian festivals are the six Gahambar festivals and Nowruz, which occurs at the spring equinox. According to Mary Boyce,[53] "It seems a reasonable surmise that Nowruz, the holiest of them all, with deep doctrinal significance, was founded by Zoroaster himself"; although there is no clear date of origin.[54] Between sunset on the day of the sixth Gahambar and sunrise of Nowruz, Hamaspathmaedaya (later known, in its extended form, as Frawardinegan; and today known as Farvardigan) was celebrated. This and the Gahambars are the only festivals named in the surviving text of the Avesta.

text: The 10th-century scholar Biruni, in his work Kitab al-Tafhim li Awa'il Sina'at al-Tanjim, provides a description of the calendars of various nations. Besides the Iranian calendar, various festivals of Greeks, Jews, Arabs, Sabians, and other nations are mentioned in the book. In the section on the Iranian calendar, he mentions Nowruz, Sadeh, Tirgan, Mehrgan, the six Gahambars, Farvardigan, Bahmanja, Esfand Armaz and several other festivals. According to him, "It is the belief of the Iranians that Nowruz marks the first day when the universe started its motion."[55] The Persian historian Gardizi, in his work titled Zayn al-Akhbār, under the section of the Zoroastrians festivals, mentions Nowruz (among other festivals) and specifically points out that Zoroaster highly emphasized the celebration of Nowruz and Mehrgan.[56][57]

text: Achaemenid period[edit]

text: It has been suggested that the famous Persepolis complex, or at least the palace of Apadana and the Hundred Columns Hall, were built for the specific purpose of celebrating a feast related to Nowruz. Although there may be no mention of the term Nowruz in recorded Achaemenid inscriptions,[58] there is a detailed account by Xenophon of a Nowruz celebration taking place in Persepolis and the continuity of this festival in the Achaemenid tradition.[59] It was an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 550–330 BCE), where kings from different nations under the Achaemenid Empire used to bring gifts to the King of Kings of Iran. The significance of the ceremony in the Achaemenid Empire was such that King Cambyses II's appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the referred annual Achaemenid festival.[60] It was, therefore, a highly auspicious occasion for the ancient Iranian peoples.

text: In 539 BC, the Jews came under Iranian rule, thus exposing both groups to each other's customs. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the story of Purim as told in the Book of Esther is adapted from an Iranian novella about the shrewdness of harem queens, suggesting that Purim may be a transformation of the Iranian New Year.[61] A specific novella is not identified and Encyclopædia Britannica itself notes that "no Jewish texts of this genre from the Persian period are extant, so these new elements can be recognized only inferentially". The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics notes that the Purim holiday is based on a lunar calendar, while Nowruz occurs at the spring equinox (solar calendar). The two holidays are therefore celebrated on different dates but within a few weeks of each other, depending on the year. Given their temporal associations, it is possible that the Jews and Iranians of the time may have shared or adopted similar customs for these holidays.[62]

text: Arsacid and Sassanid periods[edit]

text: Nowruz was the holiday of Arsacid dynastic empires who ruled Iran (248 BCE–224 CE) and the other areas ruled by the Arsacid dynasties outside of Parthia (such as the Arsacid dynasties of Armenia and Iberia). There are specific references to the celebration of Nowruz during the reign of Vologases I (51–78 CE), but these include no details.[58] Before Sassanids established their power in Western Asia around 300 CE, Parthians celebrated Nowruz in autumn, and the first of Farvardin began at the autumn equinox. During the reign of the Parthian dynasty, the spring festival was Mehrgan, a Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated in honor of Mithra.[63]

text: Extensive records on the celebration of Nowruz appear following the accession of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE). Under the Sassanid emperors, Nowruz was celebrated as the most important day of the year. Most royal traditions of Nowruz, such as royal audiences with the public, cash gifts, and the pardoning of prisoners, were established during the Sassanid era and persisted unchanged until modern times.

text: After the Muslim conquest[edit]

text: Nowruz, along with Sadeh (celebrated in mid-winter), survived in society after the Muslim conquest of Iran in 650 CE. Other celebrations such the Gahambars and Mehrgan were eventually side-lined or were only followed by the Zoroastrians who carried them. It was adopted as the main royal holiday during the Abbasid period.

text: In the book Nowruznama ("Book of the New Year", which is attributed to Omar Khayyam,[64] a well known Persian poet and mathematician), a vivid description of the celebration in the courts of the kings of Iran is provided:[65] "From the era of Kai Khosrow till the days of Yazdegard, last of the pre-Islamic kings of Iran, the royal custom was thus: on the first day of the New Year, Now Ruz, the king's first visitor was the High Mobad of the Zoroastrians, who brought with him as gifts a golden goblet full of wine, a ring, some gold coins, a fistful of green sprigs of wheat, a sword, and a bow. In the language of Iran, he would then glorify God and praise the monarch. This was the address of the High Mobad to the king: "O Majesty, on this feast of the equinox, first day of the first month of the year, seeing that thou hast freely chosen God and the faith of the ancient ones; may Sraosha, the angel-messenger, grant thee wisdom and insight and sagacity in thy affairs. Live long in praise, be happy and fortunate upon thy golden throne, drink immortality from the Cup of Jamshid; and keep in solemn trust the customs of our ancestors, their noble aspirations, fair gestures and the exercise of justice and righteousness. May thy soul flourish; may thy youth be as the new-grown grain; may thy horse be puissant, victorious; thy sword bright and deadly against foes; thy hawk swift against its prey; thy every act straight as the arrow's shaft. Go forth from thy rich throne, conquer new lands. Honor the craftsman and the sage in equal degree; disdain the acquisition of wealth. May thy house prosper and thy life be long!"

text: Following the demise of the caliphate and the subsequent re-emergence of Iranian dynasties such as the Samanids and Buyids, Nowruz was elevated to an even more important event. The Buyids revived the ancient traditions of Sassanian times and restored many smaller celebrations that had been eliminated by the caliphate. According to the Syrian historian Yaqut al-Hamawi, the Iranian Buyid ruler ʿAżod-od-Dawla (r. 949-83) customarily welcomed Nowruz in a majestic hall, wherein servants had placed gold and silver plates and vases full of fruit and colorful flowers.[66] The King would sit on the royal throne (masnad), and the court astronomer came forward, kissed the ground, and congratulated him on the arrival of the New Year.[66] The king would then summon musicians and singers, and invited his boon companions. They would gather in their assigned places and enjoy a great festive occasion.[66]

text: Even the Turkic and Mongol invaders did not attempt to abolish Nowruz in favor of any other celebration. Thus, Nowruz remained as the main celebration in Iranian lands by both the officials and the people.

text:
Painting of Shah Abbas II and the courtiers celebrating Nowruz.[citation needed]

A Safavid painting depecting a Charshanbe Suri celebration.

A 16th-century painting of Tahmasp I and Humayun celebrating Nowruz.

Painting of Sultan Husayn and the courtiers celebrating Nowruz.

text: Contemporary era[edit]

text: Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Iran was the only country that officially observed the ceremonies of Nowruz. When the Caucasian and Central Asian countries gained independence from the Soviets, they also declared Nowruz as a national holiday.

text: The UN's General Assembly recognized the International Day of Nowruz in 2010, describing it as a spring festival of Iranian origin, which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.[67][68] During the meeting of The Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28 September – 2 October 2009, Nowruz was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[69][70][71][72][73] In response to the UN recognition, Iran unveiled a postage stamp. The stamp was made public in the presence of the Iranian President during the first International Nowruz Celebrations in Tehran on Saturday, 27 March 2010.[74]

text: The second International Nowruz Celebrations were also held in Tehran in 2011. The 3rd International Nowruz Celebrations were held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on March 25, 2012 with Tajik President and his Iranian and Afghan counterparts in attendance. The next international ceremonies to celebrate Nowruz were scheduled to be hosted by Turkmenistan.[75]

text: Locality[edit]

text: The festival of Nowruz is celebrated by many groups of people in the Black Sea basin, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Western Asia, central and southern Asia, and by Iranians worldwide.[76]

text: Countries that have Nowruz as a public holiday include:

text:
Afghanistan (21 March)[24]
 Albania (22 March)[1][2]
 Azerbaijan (20 March to 24 March, total five days)[77][78]
 Georgia[79]
 Iran (20 March to 24 March, total of five days in general and total of 14 days for schools and universities)[80]
 Iraq (de jure in  Iraqi Kurdistan, de facto national)[6] (21 March)[81]
 Kazakhstan (21 March to 24 March, total of four days)[7]
 Kosovo (21 March)
 Kyrgyzstan (21 March)[82][83]
 Bayan-Ölgii, Mongolia (22 March, regional state holiday only)[3]
 Tajikistan (20 March to 23 March, total of four days)[12][84]
 Turkmenistan (21 March to 22 March, total of two days)[85]
 Uzbekistan (21 March)[86]

text: The Parliament of Canada, on 30 March 2009, by unanimous consent, passed a bill to add Nowruz to the national calendar of Canada.[87][88]

text: Nowruz is celebrated by Kurdish people in Iraq[6][89] and Turkey,[90] as well as by the Iranis and Parsis in the Indian subcontinent and diaspora.

text: It is also taken place by Iranian communities in several regions in Europe and the Americas, including Los Angeles, Toronto, Cologne and London.[91] But because Los Angeles is prone to devastating fires, there are very strict fire codes in the city. No fires are allowed even on one's own property. Usually, Iranians living in Southern California go to the beaches to celebrate the event where it is permissible to build fires.[92] On 15 March 2010, the House of Representatives of the United States passed the Nowruz Resolution (H.Res. 267), by a 384–2 vote,[93] "Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, ... ."[94]

text:
Tajik girls celebrating Navruz in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Nawrız in Kazakhstan.

Nawrız in Tekeli, 2013.

Traditional costume for Nawrız in Kazakhstan.

Traditional dancing during a Nowruz festival in Paris.

text: Iran[edit]

text: Nowruz marks the beginning of the New Year in Iran's official calendar, the Solar Hejri calendar. The present-day calendar system was first enacted by the Iranian Parliament on March 31, 1925.[95] Iran's Nowruz celebrations last for two weeks,[96][97] before which a fire festival (Chaharshanbe Suri) is also celebrated,[98] and include four official public holidays from the first to the fourth day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian calendar (usually coincided with March 21 to 24).[99]

text: Following the 1979 Revolution, some radical elements from the Islamic government attempted to suppress Nowruz,[100] but failed to do so. They considered Nowruz a pagan holiday and a distraction from Islamic holidays. Nowruz has been politicized,[101] and political leaders have been making annual Nowruz speeches for years.

text:
A Wheatgrass shop for Haft-sin in Iran.

Haft-sin in Tehran's Tupkhane Square, in 2013.

Celebrating Nowruz at a mall in Tehran.

Nowruz decorations at a mall in Tehran.

A Haft-sin table in a hotel in Tehran.

Amu Nowruz resting in a sidewalk in Tehran.

Painting huge eggs for Nowruz in Tehran.

Celebrating Nowruz next to the Tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae.

Iranian Kurds celebrating Nowruz in Palangan.

Iranian Kurds celebrating Nowruz in Mariwan.

An Iranian diasporan Nowruz concert at the Oberhausen Arena, Germany.

text: Azerbaijan[edit]

text: After Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan hosts the greatest number of public holidays related to Nowruz, with a total of seven days.[78]

text: In Azerbaijan, the holiday goes on for several days and ends with festive public dancing and other entertainment of folk bands, as well as the contests of national sports. In rural areas, crop holidays are also marked.[102]

text:
Novruz on an Azerbaijani stamp.

Azerbaijani youth celebrating Novruz.

Novruz in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Novruz festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Folk dancers in Baku, during the Novruz celebrations.

text: The Azeri diaspora has communal associations that organize Nowruz celebrations in the US and Canada and in Israel[103]

text: Afghanistan[edit]

text: Nauruz is celebrated widely in Afghanistan. Also known as the Farmer's Day, the observances usually last two weeks, culminating on the first day of the Afghan New Year, on March 21.[24] During the Taliban rule (1996–2001), Nauruz was banned and considered "an ancient pagan holiday centered on fire worship".[104]

text: Armenia[edit]

text: Since the extinction during the 19th century, Nowruz is not celebrated by Armenians and is not a public holiday in Armenia. However, it is celebrated in Armenia by tens of thousands of Iranian tourists who visit Armenia with relative ease.[105] The influx of tourists from Iran accelerated since around 2010–11.[106][107] In 2010 alone, around 27,600 Iranians spent Nowruz in capital Yerevan.[108]

text: In 2015, President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of congratulations to Kurds living in Armenia and to the Iranian political leadership on the occasion of Nowruz.[109]

text: China[edit]

text: Traditionally, Nowruz is celebrated mainly in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by the Uyghurs, Chinese Tajik, Salar, and Kazakh ethnicities.[3]

text: It's a tradition for people to plant trees, dredge irrigation canals, clean houses and prepare scrumptious food for guests during the festival.[citation needed]

text: Georgia[edit]

text: Nowruz is not celebrated by Georgians (excluding those who live in Iran and Azerbaijan), but it has become a public holiday in Georgia since 2010. It is widely celebrated by the country's large Azerbaijani minority (~7% of the total population)[110] as well as by the Iranians living in Georgia.[110][111] Most Georgian Azerbaijanis live in Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Shida Kartli, and Mtskheta-Mtianeti regions. In addition, there is also a large historical Azerbaijani community in the capital city of Tbilisi, thus marking these as the core regions of celebration in Georgia.[110] Every year, large festivities are held notably in the capital Tbilisi.[110] Georgian politicians have attended the festivities in the capital over the years, and have congratulated the Nowruz-observing ethnic groups and nationals in Georgia on the day of Nowruz.[112][113]

text: Kurds[edit]

text: Newroz (or Nevruz) is largely considered as a potent symbol of Kurdish identity in Turkey, even if there are some Turks (including Turkmens) celebrating the festival. The Kurds of Turkey celebrate this feast between 18th till 21 March. Kurds gather into fairgrounds mostly outside the cities to welcome spring. Women wear colored dresses and spangled head scarves and young men wave flags of green, yellow and red, the historic colors of Kurdish people. They hold this festival by lighting fire and dancing around it.[114] Newroz celebrations are usually organised by Kurdish cultural associations and pro-Kurdish political parties. Thus, the Democratic Society Party was a leading force in the organisation of the 2006 Newroz events throughout Turkey. In recent years, the Newroz celebration gathers around 1 million participants in Diyarbakır, the biggest city of the Kurdish dominated Southeastern Turkey. As the Kurdish Newroz celebrations in Turkey often are theater for political messages, the events are frequently criticized for being political rallies rather than cultural celebrations.

text: Until 2005, the Kurdish population of Turkey could not celebrate their New Year openly.[115] "Thousands of people have been detained in Turkey, as the authorities take action against suspected supporters of the Kurdish rebel movement, the PKK.[116] The holiday is now official in Turkey after international pressure on the Turkish government to lift culture bans. Turkish government renamed the holiday Nevroz in 1995.[117] In the recent years, limitations on expressions of Kurdish national identity, including the usage of Kurdish in the public sphere, have been considerably relaxed.

text: On 21 March 2013, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called for a ceasefire through a message that was released in Diyarbakır during the Newroz celebrations.[118]

text: In Syria, the Kurds dress up in their national dress and celebrate the New Year.[119] According to Human Rights Watch, the Kurds have had to struggle to celebrate Newroz, and in the past the celebration has led to violent oppression, leading to several deaths and mass arrests.[120] The government has stated that the Newroz celebrations will be tolerated as long as they do not become political demonstrations of the treatment of the Kurds.[121] During the Newroz celebrations in 2008, three Kurds were shot dead by Syrian security forces.[122] [123]

text: Kurds in the diaspora also celebrate the New Year; for example, Kurds in Australia celebrate Newroz, not only as the beginning of the new year, but also as the Kurdish National Day. The Kurds in Finland celebrate the new year as a way of demonstrating their support for the Kurdish cause.[124] Also in London, organizers estimated that 25000 people celebrated Newroz during March 2006.[125]

text: Slavic and Baltic countries[edit]

text: Although Nowruz (Nowy Rok, Nový Rok) was absorbed by Christian Easter, many traditions of the historical Slavic religion, resembling many aspects of ancient Zoroastrianism, are still traditionally observed in the rural areas. These ancient traditions are also promoted in the modern movement of Rodnovery. The Russian composer Igor Stravinsky dedicated Newruz the ballet Le Sacre du printemps.

text: The Newruz burning piles were complemented by Marzanna representing the cold and morbidity, which is burnt on the spring equinox and thrown into river. Also the tradition of original pisanki/krašanki survives, although slowly replaced by Christian Easter eggs. At Nowruz the tradition of growing Cardamine, resembling that of Samani, is cultivated privately at homes.

text: The rules of Avesta, despite Christianization, were regularly followed by Slavic and Baltic peoples until the 14th century. This is best reflected in the traditional wooden Slavic urban architecture strictly following instructions found in Avesta. Yasna resembles a Slavic word meaning the bright/light/clear/shining one (feminine adjective from jasność, Slavic J pronounced like English Y). The Slavic priests of the fire ceremony (Żertwa/Agnihotra) were called Żercy/Žercy resembling Zerdusht (Zarathushtra), the Slavic word for fire ogień resembles the Sanskrit agni. The Slavs absorbed many Iranic nations, e.g.: Sarmatians, Iazyges, Serboi, Amardi…[126][127] and may be considered the nordic European agriculturalist branch of the Indo-Iranians.

text:
Replica of the oldest Ukrainian pisanka at Pisanka Museum of Kolomyia.

Traditional pisanka with a swastika (svarha) motif.

A mix of modern, diasporan and traditional Ukrainian pisanki.

A traditional Ukrainian pisanka with Gaokerena (Tree of life) motif.

A meander motif on a traditional pisanka.

text: In the 19th century the Polish professor Ignacy Pietraszewski reconstructed from Avestan language the books of Avesta and translated it along the original scriptures parallel into Polish, German and French offering also the Latin transcription of the original Avestan scripture and valuable comments. A position at court of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was offered to the professor, which he kindly refused. His books were burnt on German stockpiles during Kulturkampf, and ironically inspired the German Nazis in the invention of their "Aryan" fairy-tales.

text:
Miano slavianskie w ręku jednej familii od trzech tysięcy lat zostające, czyli nie Zendawesta, a Zędaszta, to jest życie dawcza książeczka Zoroastra. Das slavische Eigenthum seit dreitausend Jahren, oder nicht Zendavesta, aber Zendaschta, das heisst das lebenbringende Buch des Zoroaster, book 1-2, Berlin 1857 [another copy: [4]] (including books I-V of Vendidad. A new edition of the Polish translation only, titled Zędaszta, to jest życiodawcza książeczka Zoroastra albo Awesta Wielka, translated by Ignacy Pietraszewski, reedited by: Julian Edgar Kassner and Andrzej Sarwa. Series: Święte Księgi, Święte Teksty 19. Published by: Wydawnictwo Armoryka, Sandomierz 2011. ISBN 978-83-62661-19-0.
Zend Avesta ou plutôt Zen-Daschta expliquè d’après un principe tout à fait noveau. (...). Le text est accompagné d’une prononciation, de traductions polonaise et français, et suivi d’un vocabulaire et d’une grammaire, Berlin 1858-62 (three parts in two books); containing:

part 1, book 1, 1858: Du Wendidad, rozdz. I-VIII another copy (extended by books VI-VIII of Vendidad, reprint of Miano slavianskie... from 1857);
part 2, book 2, 1862: Du Wendidad, rozdz. IX-XXII);
part 3, book 2, 1862: Wyspered et Jasna, rozdz. I-LXXI).

text: Another copy: google books Reprint: Teheran 1976. (3 parts in 1 book). Also: Kessinger Publishing 2009 (part 1).

text:
Abregé de la grammaire Zend, Berlin 1861.
Deutsche verbesserte Übersetzung der Bücher des Zoroaster, Berlin 1864.

text: Observances[edit]

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text: House cleaning and shopping[edit]

text: House cleaning, or shaking the house (خانه تکانی – xane tekāni) as referred to by Persian-speaking Iranians, is commonly observed before the arrival of Nowruz. People start preparing for Nowruz with a major spring-cleaning of their house and the purchase of new clothes to wear for the New Year, as well the purchase of flowers. In particular, the hyacinth and the tulip are popular and conspicuous.

text: In association with the "rebirth of nature", extensive spring cleaning is a national tradition observed by almost every household in Iran. This is also extended to personal attire, and it is customary to buy at least one set of new clothes.

text: Parsis adorn their houses with different auspicious symbols; namely, stars, butterflies, birds and fish. They order and make new attires especially for the festival. On the day of Navroz, they dress in their new and best clothes and put on gold and silver kustis and caps. They decorate the doors and windows with garlands of roses and jasmines, and use color powders for creating patterns known as rangoli on the steps and thresholds. Fish and floral motifs are a favorite among rangolis and considered highly auspicious.[citation needed]

text: Festival of Charshanbe Suri[edit]

text: Charshanbe Suri (Persian: چارشنبه سوری – Čāršanbe Suri; Kurdish: Çarşema Sor; Azerbaijani: Çərşənbə Bayramı) is a prelude to the New Year. In Iran, it is celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz. It is usually celebrated in the evening, and is obtained by people making bonfires and jumping over them, as well as setting off fireworks and sparklers.

text: In Azerbaijan, where the preparation for Novruz usually begins a month earlier, the festival is held every Tuesday during four weeks before the holiday of Novruz. Each Tuesday, people celebrate the day of one of the four elements – water, fire, earth and wind.[128] On the holiday eve, the graves of relatives are visited and tended.[129]

text: Iranians sing the traditional poetic quote zardi ye man az to, sorkhi ye to az man during the festival, which literally means "my yellow is yours, your red is mine"; meaning you want the fire to replace your pallor, sickness, and problems with warmth and energy. Trail mix and berries are also served during the celebration.

text: Spoon hitting (قاشق زنی – qāšoq zani) is an Iranian tradition observed on the eve of Charshanbe Suri, which is similar to the Halloween custom Trick-or-treating. It is practiced by people wearing disguises and going door-to-door to bang spoons against plates or bowls and receive packaged snacks.

text: In Azerbaijan, according to old traditions, children slip around to their neighbors' homes and apartments on the last Tuesday prior to Novruz, knock at the doors, and leave their caps or little basket on the thresholds all the while hiding nearby waiting for candies, pastries and nuts.[128]

text: The ritual of jumping over fire has remained in Armenia in the feast of Trndez, which is a feast of purification in the Armenian Apostolic Church and Armenian Catholic Churches, celebrated forty days after Jesus's birth.[130]

text: Festivals of Gul-i-Surkh and Dehqān[edit]

text: In Afghanistan, the festival of Gul-i-Surkh (Dari: گل سرخ; "Red Flower", referring to red tulip flowers) is the principal festival for Nauruz. It is celebrated in Mazar-i-Sharif during the first 40 days of the year, when the tulip flowers grow in the green plains and over the hills surrounding the city. People from all over the country travel to Mazar-i-Sharif to attend the Nauruz festivals. Various activities and customs are performed during the Gul-i-Surkh festival, including:

text:
Jahenda Bala (Dari: جهنده بالا; "Raising"), which is celebrated on the first day of the New Year,[131] and is attended by high-ranking government officials such as the Vice-President, Ministers, and Provincial Governors – It is a specific religious ceremony performed at the Blue Mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif. The ceremony is performed by raising a special banner whose color configuration resembles Derafsh Kaviani. This is the biggest recorded Nawroz gathering where up to 200,000 people from all over Afghanistan get together to celebrate the ceremony.
Buzkashi tournament, held during the Gul-i-Surkh festival in Mazar-i-Sharif, Kabul and other northern cities of Afghanistan

text: The festival of Dehqān (Dari: دهقان; "Farmer") is celebrated on the first day of the New Year, in which the farmers walk in the cities as a sign of encouragement for the agricultural productions. In recent years, this activity is being performed only in Kabul and other major cities of Afghanistan, in which the mayor and other high governmental personalities participate for watching and observing.

text: The citizens of Kabul go to Istalif, Charikar or other green places around where the Cercis flowers grow. They go for picnic with their families during the first two weeks of the New Year.

text: Decorative tables[edit]

text: Haft-sin[edit]

text: Haft-sin (هفت‌سین; "seven [items beginning with the letter] sin (S)") is the traditional table setting of Nowruz in Iran. Typically, before the arrival of Nowruz, family members gather around the Haft-sin table and await the exact moment of the March equinox to celebrate the New Year. Haft-sin consists of seven symbolic items whose names start with the letter sin (س) in the Persian alphabet,[132][133] namely:

text:
Sabze (سبزه) – wheat, barley, mung bean, or lentil sprouts grown in a dish.
Samanu (سمنو) – sweet pudding made from wheat germ.
Senjed (سنجد) – dried Persian olive.
Serke (سرکه) – vinegar.
Sib (سیب) – apple.
Sir (سیر) – garlic.
Somāq (سماق) – sumac.

text: These items are also known to have astrological correlations to planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, and Moon.[citation needed] Other items that are typically used to accompany Haft-sin include a mirror, candles, painted eggs, a bowl of water, goldfish, coins, hyacinth, and traditional confectioneries. A "book of wisdom" is also commonly included, which might be the Quran, the Bible, the Avesta, the Šāhnāme of Ferdowsi, or the divān of Hafez.[132]

text:
Wheatgrass, one of the items of Haft-sin.

A Haft-sin table.

A 2008 White House Haft-sin.

A Haft-sin table in the Netherlands.

text: Haft-sin's origins are not clear. The practice is believed to have been popularized over the past 100 years.[134]

text: Haft Mewa[edit]

text: In Afghanistan, people prepare Haft Mewa (Dari: هفت میوه – Haft Mēwa; literally "the Seven Fruits") for the New Year's Day. It is similar to a fruit salad, and is made from seven different dried fruits served in their own syrup.

text: The seven dried fruits prepared for the Haft Mewa setting include:

text:
Raisin
Senjed, the dried fruit of the oleaster tree.
Pistachio
Hazelnut
Prune, the dry fruit of plum.
Walnut
Almond or other species of drupes.

text: Khoncha[edit]

text: In Azerbaijan, the decoration of the festive table is called Khoncha (Azerbaijani: Xonça). It consists of a big silver or copper tray, with Samani placed in the center, as well as candles and dyed eggs by the number of family members around it.

text: The table should be set, at least, with seven dishes.[128]

text:
A Khoncha setting.

Samani

A girl with Khoncha.

A giant Samani in Baku.

A Khoncha setting.

text: Traditional heralds[edit]

text: Amu Nowruz and Haji Firuz[edit]

text: In Iran, the traditional heralds of the festival of Nowruz are Amu Nowruz and Haji Firuz, who appear annually in the streets to celebrate the New Year.

text: Amu Nowruz brings children gifts, much like his Christian counterpart Santa Claus.[135] He is the husband of Nane Sarma, with whom he shares a traditional love story in which they can meet each other only once a year.[136][137] He is characterized as an elderly silver-haired man who puts on a felt hat, and has a walking stick, a long cloak of blue canvas, a sash, a pair of thin-soled giveh, and a pair of linen trousers.[138]

text: Haji Firuz, a character with his face and hands covered in soot, clad in bright red clothes and a felt hat, is the companion of Amu Nowruz. He dances through the streets while singing and playing a tambourine. In the traditional songs, he introduces himself as a serf trying to cheer people whom he refers to as his lords.[139]

text: Kampirak[edit]

text: In the folklore of Afghanistan, Kampirak and his retinue pass village by village distributing gathered charities among people. He is an old bearded man wearing colorful clothes with a long hat and rosary who symbolizes beneficence and the power of nature yielding the forces of winter. The tradition is observed in central provinces, specially Bamyan and Daykundi.[140]

text: Visiting one another[edit]

text: During the Nowruz holidays, people are expected to visit one another (mostly limited to families, friends and neighbors) in the form of short house visits, which are usually reciprocated. Typically, the youth will visit the elders first, and the elders return their visit later.

text: In Iran, the visits naturally have to be relatively short, otherwise one will not be able to visit everybody on the list. A typical visit is lesser than 30 minutes, where you often run into other visiting relatives and friends who happen to be paying a visit to the same house at that time.

text: Because of the house visits, you make sure you have a sufficient supply of pastry, cookies, fresh and dried fruits and mixed nuts on hand, as you typically serve your visitors with these items with tea and other beverages. Many Iranians will throw large Nowruz parties in a central location as a way of dealing with the long distances between groups of friends and family.

text: Sizdah bedar[edit]

text: In Iran, the Nowruz holidays last thirteen days. On the thirteenth day of the New Year, Iranians leave their houses to join nature and picnic outdoors, as part of the Sizdebedar ceremony.

text: On the day of Sizdah bedar, the greenery grown for the Haft-sin setting is thrown away, particularly into a running water. It is also customary for young single people, especially young girls, to tie the leaves of the greenery before discarding it, expressing a wish to find a partner.

text: Another custom associated with Sizdah bedar is Lie of the Thirteen, which is the process of lying to someone and making them believe it.[141][142][143] It has been directly borrowed from April Fools' Day, and has become in vogue in Iran due to its coincidence with the day of the celebration of Sizdah bedar.

text: Cuisine[edit]

text: Desserts and snacks[edit]

text:
Ajil (Kurds, Persians): Trail mix
Baklava (Azerbaijanis, Persians, Turks): A flaky pastry filled with walnuts, almonds or pistachios, and flavored with rosewater
Falooda dessert (Parsis): A sweet milk drink made from vermicelli and flavored with rose essence
Lagan-nu-custard dessert (Parsis): A type of caramel custard.
Nan berenji (Iranians): Cookies made from rice flour
Noql (Pashtuns, Persians, Tajiks): Sugar-coated almonds
Samanu (Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Persians): Sprouted wheat pudding
Shekerbura (Azerbaijanis): Azerbaijani sweet pastries
Shorgoghal (Azerbaijanis): Flaky bread with a spice filling

text: Dishes[edit]

text:
Ash e reshte (Iranians): A noodle soup traditionally served on the first day of Nowruz.[144]
Chicken farcha (Parsis): A typical Parsi dish of fried chicken.
Dolma (Azerbaijanis): A traditional dish of Azeri people, cooked just before the New Year. It includes vegetables, meat and rice which have been cooked, then rolled in grape leaves and cooked again.
Fried fish and jelabi (Afghans): The most often meal of the Nauruz picnics in Afghanistan.
Kuku sabzi (Iranians): Herbs and vegetable soufflé, traditionally served for dinner on New Year's. It is a light and fluffy omelet made with parsley, dill herb, coriander greens (cilantro), spinach, spring onion leaves and chives, mixed with eggs and walnuts.
Kulcha-e Nauruzī (Pashtuns, Tajiks): Afghan rice cookies which are only baked for Nauruz.
Nawrız koje (Kazakhs): A traditional New Year's Day dish of the Kazakh people, which includes water, meat, salt, flour, grain and milk.
Reshte polow (Iranians): Rice cooked with noodles.
Sabzi chalaw (Pashtuns, Tajiks): A dish made from rice and spinach.
Sabzi polow with fish (Iranians): A traditional New Year's Day meal of rice with green herbs, served with fish. The traditional seasonings for sabzi polow are parsley, coriander greens (cilantro), chives, dill herb and fenugreek greens.

text: Mythology[edit]

text: There exist various foundation myths for Nowruz in Iranian mythology.

text: 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.[145] Jamshid, the mythical Iranian king, perhaps symbolizes the transition of the Proto-Iranians from animal hunting to animal husbandry and a more settled life in human history.[citation needed] In the Shahnameh and Iranian mythology, he is credited with the foundation of Nowruz. The book reads that 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 the scattered jewels around him, and called this day the New Day (Now Ruz). This was the first day of Farvardin, which is the first month of the Iranian calendar.[146]

text: Astronomy[edit]

text: The first day of the Iranian calendar falls on the March equinox, the first day of spring, around 21 March. At the time of the equinox, the sun is observed to be directly over the equator, and the north and south poles of the Earth lie along the solar terminator. Sunlight is evenly divided between the north and south hemispheres.

text: In around the 11th century CE, major reforms of the Iranian calendars took place and whose principal purpose were to fix the beginning of the calendar year, i.e. Nowruz, at the vernal equinox. Accordingly, the definition of Nowruz given by the Iranian scientist Tusi was the following: "the first day of the official New Year [Nowruz] was always the day on which the sun entered Aries before noon."[147]

text: Calendar[edit]

text: Nowruz is the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar calendar.

text: In the Fasli/Bastani variant of the Zoroastrian calendar, Navroz is always the day of the vernal equinox (nominally falling on March 21).

text: In the Shahenshahi and Kadmi calendars, which do not account for leap years, the New Year's Day has drifted ahead by over 200 days. These latter two variants of the calendar, which are only followed by the Zoroastrians of Pakistan and India, celebrate the spring equinox as Jamshed-i Nouroz, with New Year's Day then being celebrated in July–August as Pateti "(day) of penitence" (from patet "confession," hence also repentance and penitence).[citation needed]

text: Theology[edit]

text: Followers of the Zoroastrian faith [148] include Nowruz in their religious calendar, as do followers of other faiths. Shia literature refers to the merits of the day of Nowruz; the Day of Ghadir took place on Nowruz; and the fatwas of major Shia scholars [149] recommend fasting. Nowruz is also a holy day for Sufis, Bektashis, Ismailis, Alawites,[150] Alevis, Babis and adherents of the Bahá'í Faith.[151]

text: Bahá'í Faith[edit]

text: Naw-Rúz is one of nine holy days for adherents of the Bahá'í Faith worldwide. It is the first day of the Bahá'í calendar, occurring on the vernal equinox around March 21.[152] The Bahá'í calendar is composed of 19 months, each of 19 days,[153] and each of the months is named after an attribute of God; similarly each of the nineteen days in the month also are named after an attribute of God.[153] The first day and the first month were given the attribute of Bahá, an Arabic word meaning splendour or glory, and thus the first day of the year was the day of Bahá in the month of Bahá.[152][154] Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, explained that Naw-Rúz was associated with the Most Great Name of God,[152][154] and was instituted as a festival for those who observed the Nineteen day fast.[155][156]

text: The day is also used to symbolize the renewal of time in each religious dispensation.[157] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son and successor, explained that significance of Naw-Rúz in terms of spring and the new life it brings.[152] He explained that the equinox is a symbol of the messengers of God and the message that they proclaim is like a spiritual springtime, and that Naw-Rúz is used to commemorate it.[158]

text: As with all Bahá'í holy days, there are few fixed rules for observing Naw-Rúz, and Bahá'ís all over the world celebrate it as a festive day, according to local custom.[152] Persian Bahá'ís still observe many of the Iranian customs associated with Nowruz such as the Haft-sin, but American Bahá'í communities, for example, may have a potluck dinner, along with prayers and readings from Bahá'í scripture.

text: Twelver Shia faith and Shia Ismaili faith[edit]

text: Along with Ismailis,[159][160] Alawites and Alevis, the Twelver Shia also hold the day of Nowruz in high regard.

text: It has been said that Musa al-Kadhim, the seventh Twelver Shia imam, has explained Nowruz and said: "In Nowruz God made a covenant with His servants to worship Him and not to allow any partner for Him. To welcome, His messengers and obey their rulings. This day is the first day that the fertile wind blow and the flowers on the earth appeared. The archangel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet, and it is the day that Abraham broke the idols. The day Prophet Muhammad held Ali on his shoulders to destroy the Quraishie's idols in the house of God, the Kaaba."[161]

text: The day upon which Nowruz falls has been recommended as a day of fasting for Twelver Shia Muslims by Shia scholars, including Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, Ruhollah Khomeini[162] and Ali al-Sistani.[163] The day also assumes special significance for Shias as it has been said that it was on 21 March 656 AD that the first Shia Imam, Ali, assumed the office of caliphate.


document_title: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

question_text: when did australia sign the declaration of human rights

root

text: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

text: Structure and content[edit]

text: The underlying structure of the Universal Declaration was introduced in its second draft, which was prepared by René Cassin. Cassin worked from a first draft, which was prepared by John Peters Humphrey. The structure was influenced by the Code Napoléon, including a preamble and introductory general principles.[4] Cassin compared the Declaration to the portico of a Greek temple, with a foundation, steps, four columns, and a pediment.

tag: p

text:
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

tag: table

text: The Declaration consists of a preamble and thirty articles:

text:
The preamble sets out the historical and social causes that led to the necessity of drafting the Declaration.
Articles 1—2 established the basic concepts of dignity, liberty, equality, and brotherhood.
Articles 3—11 established other individual rights, such as the right to life and the prohibition of slavery.
Articles 6—11 refer to the fundamental legality of human rights with specific remedies cited for their defence when violated.
Articles 12–17 established the rights of the individual towards the community (including such things as freedom of movement).
Articles 18–21 sanctioned the so-called "constitutional liberties", and with spiritual, public, and political freedoms, such as freedom of thought, opinion, religion and conscience, word, and peaceful association of the individual.
Articles 22–27 sanctioned an individual's economic, social and cultural rights, including healthcare. Article 25 states: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services." It also makes additional accommodations for security in case of physical debilitation or disability, and makes special mention of care given to those in motherhood or childhood.[5]
Articles 28—30 established the general ways of using these rights, the areas in which these rights of the individual can not be applied, and that they can not be overcome against the individual.

tag: ul

text: These articles are concerned with the duty of the individual to society and the prohibition of use of rights in contravention of the purposes of the United Nations Organisation.[6]

text: History[edit]

text: Background[edit]

text:
State of the Union (Four Freedoms) (6 January 1941)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 6 January 1941 State of the Union address introducing the theme of the Four Freedoms (starting at 32:02)

Problems playing this file? See media help.

text: During World War II, the Allies adopted the Four Freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want—as their basic war aims. The United Nations Charter "reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, and dignity and worth of the human person" and committed all member states to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion".[7]

text: When the racist atrocities committed by Nazi Germany became fully apparent after World War II, the consensus within the world community was that the United Nations Charter did not sufficiently define the rights to which it referred.[8][9] A universal declaration that specified the rights of individuals was necessary to give effect to the Charter's provisions on human rights.[10]

text: Creation and drafting[edit]

text: In June 1946, the UN Economic and Social Council established the Commission on Human Rights, comprising 18 members from various nationalities and political backgrounds. The Commission, a standing body of the United Nations, was constituted to undertake the work of preparing what was initially conceived as an International Bill of Rights.[11]

text: The Commission established a special Universal Declaration of Human Rights Drafting Committee, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, to write the articles of the Declaration. The Committee met in two sessions over the course of two years.

text: Canadian John Peters Humphrey, Director of the Division of Human Rights within the United Nations Secretariat, was called upon by the United Nations Secretary-General to work on the project and became the Declaration's principal drafter.[12] At the time, Humphrey was newly appointed as Director of the Division of Human Rights within the United Nations Secretariat.[13]

text: Other well-known members of the drafting committee included René Cassin of France, Charles Malik of Lebanon, P. C. Chang of the Republic of China (Taiwan).[14] Humphrey provided the initial draft which became the working text of the Commission.

text: According to Allan Carlson, the Declaration's pro-family phrases were the result of the Christian Democratic movement's influence on Cassin and Malik.[15]

text: Once the Committee finished its work in May 1948, the draft was further discussed by the Commission on Human Rights, the Economic and Social Council, the Third Committee of the General Assembly before being put to vote in December 1948. During these discussions many amendments and propositions were made by UN Member States.[16]

text: British representatives were extremely frustrated that the proposal had moral but no legal obligation.[17] (It was not until 1976 that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights came into force, giving a legal status to most of the Declaration.)

text: Adoption[edit]

text: The Universal Declaration was adopted by the General Assembly as Resolution 217 on 10 December 1948. Of the then 58 members of the United Nations, 48 voted in favor, none against, eight abstained[18][19] and Honduras and Yemen failed to vote or abstain.[20]

text: The meeting record[21] provides first hand insight of the debate. South Africa's position can be seen as an attempt to protect its system of apartheid, which clearly violated any number of articles in the Declaration.[18] The Saudi Arabian delegation's abstention was prompted primarily by two of the Declaration's articles: Article 18, which states that everyone has the right "to change his religion or belief"; and Article 16, on equal marriage rights.[18] The six communist countries abstentions centred around the view that the Declaration did not go far enough in condemning fascism and Nazism.[22] Eleanor Roosevelt attributed the abstention of Soviet bloc countries to Article 13, which provided the right of citizens to leave their countries.[23]

text: The 48 countries which voted in favour of the Declaration are:[24]

text:
Afghanistan
 Argentina
 Australia
 Belgium
 Bolivia
 Brazil
 Burma
 Canada[a]
 Chile
 China
 Colombia
 Costa Rica
 Cuba
 Denmark
 Dominican Republic
 Ecuador
 Egypt
 El Salvador
 Ethiopia
 France
 Greece
 Guatemala
 Haiti
 Iceland
 India
 Iran
 Iraq
 Lebanon
 Liberia
 Luxembourg
 Mexico
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Nicaragua
 Norway
 Pakistan
 Panama
 Paraguay
 Peru
 Philippines
 Thailand
 Sweden
 Syria
 Turkey
 United Kingdom
 United States
 Uruguay
 Venezuela

text: 8 countries abstained:[24]

text:
Byelorussian SSR (Byelorussia)
 Czechoslovakia
 Poland
 Saudi Arabia
 Soviet Union
 Ukrainian SSR (Ukraine)
 Union of South Africa
 Yugoslavia

text: Other countries only gained sovereignty and joined the United Nations later,[26] which explains the relatively small number of states entitled to the historical vote and in no way reflects opposition to the universal principles.

text: International Human Rights Day[edit]

text: The Declaration is commemorated each year on 10 December, the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration, and is known as Human Rights Day or International Human Rights Day. The commemoration is observed by individuals, community and religious groups, human rights organizations, parliaments, governments, and the United Nations. Decadal commemorations are often accompanied by campaigns to promote awareness of the Declaration and human rights. 2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the Declaration, and was accompanied by year-long activities around the theme "Dignity and justice for all of us".[27]

text: Significance and legal effect[edit]

text: Significance[edit]

text: In 1948, the UN Resolution A/RES/217(III)[A] adopted the Declaration on a bilingual document in English and French, and official translations in Chinese, Russian and Spanish.[28] In 2009, the Guinness Book of Records described the Declaration as the world's "Most Translated Document" (370 different languages and dialects).[29][30] The Unicode Consortium stores 431[31] of the 503[32] official translations available at the OHCHR (as of June 2017[update]).

text: In its preamble, governments commit themselves and their people to progressive measures which secure the universal and effective recognition and observance of the human rights set out in the Declaration. Eleanor Roosevelt supported the adoption of the Declaration as a declaration rather than as a treaty because she believed that it would have the same kind of influence on global society as the United States Declaration of Independence had within the United States. In this, she proved to be correct. Even though it is not legally binding, the Declaration has been adopted in or has influenced most national constitutions since 1948. It has also served as the foundation for a growing number of national laws, international laws, and treaties, as well as for a growing number of regional, sub national, and national institutions protecting and promoting human rights.

text: Legal effect[edit]

text: While not a treaty itself, the Declaration was explicitly adopted for the purpose of defining the meaning of the words "fundamental freedoms" and "human rights" appearing in the United Nations Charter, which is binding on all member states. For this reason, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a fundamental constitutive document of the United Nations. In addition, many international lawyers[33] believe that the Declaration forms part of customary international law[34] and is a powerful tool in applying diplomatic and moral pressure to governments that violate any of its articles. The 1968 United Nations International Conference on Human Rights advised that the Declaration "constitutes an obligation for the members of the international community" to all persons. The Declaration has served as the foundation for two binding UN human rights covenants: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The principles of the Declaration are elaborated in international treaties such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention Against Torture, and many more. The Declaration continues to be widely cited by governments, academics, advocates, and constitutional courts, and by individuals who appeal to its principles for the protection of their recognised human rights.

text: Reaction[edit]

text: Praise[edit]

text: The Universal Declaration has received praise from a number of notable people. The Lebanese philosopher and diplomat Charles Malik called it "an international document of the first order of importance",[35] while Eleanor Roosevelt—first chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that drafted the Declaration—stated that it "may well become the international Magna Carta of all men everywhere."[36] In a speech on 5 October 1995, Pope John Paul II called the Declaration "one of the highest expressions of the human conscience of our time" but the Vatican never adopted the Declaration.[37] In a statement on 10 December 2003 on behalf of the European Union, Marcello Spatafora said that the Declaration "placed human rights at the centre of the framework of principles and obligations shaping relations within the international community."[citation needed]

text: Criticism[edit]

text: Islamic countries[edit]

text: Turkey— which was a secular state with an overwhelmingly Muslim population—signed the Declaration in 1948.[38] However, the same year, Saudi Arabia abstained from the ratification vote on the Declaration, claiming that it violated Sharia law.[39] Pakistan—which had signed the declaration—disagreed and critiqued the Saudi position.[40] Pakistani minister Muhammad Zafarullah Khan strongly argued in favor of including freedom of religion.[41] In 1982, the Iranian representative to the United Nations, Said Rajaie-Khorassani, said that the Declaration was "a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition" which could not be implemented by Muslims without conflict with Sharia.[42] On 30 June 2000, members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) officially resolved to support the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam,[43] an alternative document that says people have "freedom and right to a dignified life in accordance with the Islamic Shari'ah", without any discrimination on grounds of "race, colour, language, sex, religious belief, political affiliation, social status or other considerations".

text: Some Muslim diplomats would go on later to help draft other UN human rights treaties. For example, Iraqi diplomat Bedia Afnan's insistence on wording that recognized gender equality resulted in Article 3 within the ICCPR and ICESCR. Pakistani diplomat Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah also spoke in favor of recognizing women's rights.[41]

text: A number of scholars in different fields have expressed concerns with the Declaration's alleged Western bias. These include Irene Oh, Abdulaziz Sachedina, Riffat Hassan, and Faisal Kutty. Hassan has argued:

text: What needs to be pointed out to those who uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be the highest, or sole, model, of a charter of equality and liberty for all human beings, is that given the Western origin and orientation of this Declaration, the "universality" of the assumptions on which it is based is – at the very least – problematic and subject to questioning. Furthermore, the alleged incompatibility between the concept of human rights and religion in general, or particular religions such as Islam, needs to be examined in an unbiased way.[44]

text: Irene Oh argues that one solution is to approach the issue from the perspective of comparative (descriptive) ethics.[45]

text: Kutty writes: "A strong argument can be made that the current formulation of international human rights constitutes a cultural structure in which western society finds itself easily at home ... It is important to acknowledge and appreciate that other societies may have equally valid alternative conceptions of human rights."[46]

text: Ironically, a number of Islamic countries that as of 2014[update] are among the most resistant to UN intervention in domestic affairs, played an invaluable role in the creation of the Declaration, with countries such as Syria and Egypt having been strong proponents of the universality of human rights and the right of countries to self-determination.[47]

text: "The Right to Refuse to Kill"[edit]

text: Groups such as Amnesty International[48] and War Resisters International[49] have advocated for "The Right to Refuse to Kill" to be added to the Universal Declaration. War Resisters International has stated that the right to conscientious objection to military service is primarily derived from—but not yet explicit in—Article 18 of the UDHR: the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.[49]

text: Steps have been taken within the United Nations to make this right more explicit, but —to date (2017)—[update] those steps have been limited to less significant United Nations documents. Sean MacBride—Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Prize laureate—has said: "To the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights one more might, with relevance, be added. It is 'The Right to Refuse to Kill'."[50]

text: American Anthropological Association[edit]

text: The American Anthropological Association criticized the UDHR while it was in its drafting process. The AAA warned that the document would be defining universal rights from a Western paradigm which would be unfair to countries outside of that scope. They further argued that the West's history of colonialism and Evangelicalism made them a problematic moral representative for the rest of the world. They proposed three notes for consideration with underlying themes of cultural relativism: "1. The individual realizes his personality through his culture, hence respect for individual differences entails a respect for cultural differences", "2. Respect for differences between cultures is validated by the scientific fact that no technique of qualitatively evaluating cultures has been discovered", and "3. Standards and values are relative to the culture from which they derive so that any attempt to formulate postulates that grow out of the beliefs or moral codes of one culture must to that extent detract from the applicability of any Declaration of Human Rights to mankind as a whole."[51]

text: Bangkok Declaration[edit]

text: During the lead up to the World Conference on Human Rights held in 1993, ministers from Asian states adopted the Bangkok Declaration, reaffirming their governments' commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They stated their view of the interdependence and indivisibility of human rights and stressed the need for universality, objectivity, and non-selectivity of human rights. However, at the same time, they emphasized the principles of sovereignty and non-interference, calling for greater emphasis on economic, social, and cultural rights—in particular, the right to economic development over civil and political rights. The Bangkok Declaration is considered to be a landmark expression of the Asian values perspective, which offers an extended critique of human rights universalism.[52]

text: Organizations promoting the UDHR[edit]

text: This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a specific audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion policy. (November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: International Federation for Human Rights[edit]

text: The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) is nonpartisan, nonsectarian, and independent of any government, and its core mandate is to promote respect for all the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.[53][54]

text: Amnesty International[edit]

text: In 1988, director Stephen R. Johnson and 41 international animators, musicians, and producers created a 20-minute video for Amnesty International to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration. The video was to bring to life the Declaration's 30 articles.[55]

text: Amnesty International celebrated Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration all over the world by organizing the "Fire Up!" event.[56]

text: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee[edit]

text: The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is a non-profit, nonsectarian organization whose work around the world is guided by the values of Unitarian Universalism and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It works to provide disaster relief and promote human rights and social justice around the world.

text: Quaker United Nations Office and American Friends Service Committee[edit]

text: The Quaker United Nations Office and the American Friends Service Committee work on many human rights issues, including improving education on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They have developed a Curriculum to help introduce High School students to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[57][58]

text: American Library Association[edit]

text: In 1997, the council of the American Library Association (ALA) endorsed Article 19 from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[59] Along with Article 19, Article 18 and 20 are also fundamentally tied to the ALA Universal Right to Free Expression and the Library Bill of Rights.[60] Censorship, the invasion of privacy, and interference of opinions are human rights violations according to the ALA.

text: Youth for Human Rights International[edit]

text: Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 by Mary Shuttleworth, an educator born and raised in apartheid South Africa, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of discrimination and the lack of basic human rights. The purpose of YHRI is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace. YHRI has now grown into a global movement, including hundreds of groups, clubs and chapters around the world.[61]


document_title: Real Steel

question_text: what year does the movie real steel take place

text: Real Steel

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 2020, human boxers are replaced by robots. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), a former boxer, owns "Ambush", but loses it in a fight against a bull belonging to promoter and carnival owner Ricky (Kevin Durand), who rigged the fight to mess with Charlie as he sees him as a joke, partially because he beat him up the last time they competed for bailing on the bet. Having made a bet that Ambush would win as a result, Charlie now has a debt to Ricky that he can't pay—which he runs out on.

text: After the fight, Charlie learns that his ex-girlfriend died and he must attend a hearing deciding the future of their son, Max Kenton (Dakota Goyo), whom Charlie has had almost zero contact with and complete apathy towards since he was born. There, Max's aunt, Debra (Hope Davis), and her wealthy husband, Marvin (James Rebhorn), request full custody, which Charlie concedes for $100,000, half in advance, on the condition that Charlie retains Max for three months while they are on vacation and the other half when they return. Thereupon, Charlie, Max, and Bailey Tallet (Evangeline Lilly), the daughter of Charlie's former boxing coach, acquire the once-famous "Noisy Boy", but it is destroyed in a subsequent fight against "Midas". As he and Charlie attempt to scavenge parts to make a new robot from a junkyard, Max discovers "Atom", an obsolete but intact sparring robot designed to withstand severe damage, that is capable of mirroring opponent and handler movements and storing them in its memory due to its rare "shadow function".

text: At Max's behest, Charlie pits Atom against "Metro", whom Atom overcomes. Max programs Noisy Boy's vocal-respond controls in Atom, and convinces Charlie to help him with Atom's fighting move memory, resulting in a series of victories and culminating to being offered a fight in World Robot Boxing against national champion "Twin Cities". After reaching the arena, the owner of global champion "Zeus" offers to buy Atom, which Max instantly rejects. Charlie disagrees, but eventually takes Max's side. The fight starts with Atom on the attack, but Twin Cities easily takes the offensive and corners Atom. While their opponent has no blind spot, Charlie notices a hitch whenever Twin Cities throws a right jab. Using this, Charlie is able to get Atom out of the corner and eventually win by knockout. Elated by their success, Max challenges Zeus, publicly, with the audience squarely on their side. After the fight, Ricky and his two henchmen ambush Charlie for bailing earlier and rob them of their winnings, prompting Charlie to return Max to Debra.

text: This upsets Max, and when Charlie tries to convince him that living without him is better for Max, Max says he always wanted Charlie to fight for him and be there as a father. After Max leaves, Charlie returns to Bailey. While talking with her about the events, the two kiss, revealing their attraction to each other. Persuaded by Bailey, Charlie arranges the challenge offered by Max and convinces Debra to allow Max to witness the fight.

text: Zeus starts the fight by knocking Atom down with its first punch, but Atom gets up, and Zeus continues its assault, knocking Atom down multiple times, but each time Atom gets back up, and eventually is able to land its first punch, a right uppercut. Atom survives the first round, stunning the audience. Ricky, who had made a bet with a friend of Charlie's of $100,000 that Atom would not last the round, tries to slip away, but is cornered by the fight's bookmakers. The two opponents go back and forth through the fight, Atom landing multiple punches but also getting knocked down many times, getting back up for each of them. Late in the fourth round, Atom's vocal-respond controls are damaged, forcing Charlie to use its "shadow function" to make it mimic his boxing skills. This, and the fact that Zeus starts running out of power from its constant offense, tip the odds in Atom's favor, forcing Zeus' programmer to manually control it. As Zeus gets a sound beating, once even hitting the ground and barely avoiding losing by knockout, Max and Bailey both watch Charlie doing what he was meant to do, and are touched by seeing him literally fighting for his son. Despite the continued beating, Zeus manages to survive the final round and wins the match by the decision of the judges. Although Zeus remains undefeated, Atom is hailed as the "People's Champion" for fighting the technologically superior machine to a near-draw.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton
Dakota Goyo as Max Kenton
Evangeline Lilly as Bailey Tallet
Anthony Mackie as Finn
Olga Fonda as Farra Lemkova
Karl Yune as Tak Mashido
Kevin Durand as Ricky
Hope Davis as Aunt Debra
James Rebhorn as Marvin
Gregory Sims as Bill Panner
Atom the Junkyard Dog as Atom

text: Production[edit]

text: Based on Richard Matheson's 1956 short story "Steel."[5] The original screenplay was written by Dan Gilroy and was purchased by DreamWorks for $850,000 in 2003 or 2005 (sources differ).[5][6] The project was one of 17 that DreamWorks took from Paramount Pictures when they split in 2008.[5] Director Peter Berg expressed interest in the project in mid-2009 but went no further.[6] Levy was attached to the project in September 2009,[7] and Jackman was cast in the starring role in November for a $9 million fee.[8] In the same month, Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider at DreamWorks greenlit the project.[5] Les Bohem and Jeremy Leven had worked on Gilroy's screenplay, but in 2009 John Gatins was working on a new draft.[6] When Levy joined the project, he worked with Gatins to revise the screenplay,[9] spending a total of six weeks fine-tuning the script. Advertising company FIVE33 did a two-hundred page "bible" about robot boxing. Levy said he was invited by Spielberg and Snider while finishing Date Night, and while the director initially considered Real Steel to have "a crazy premise," he accepted after reading the script and feeling it could be "a really humanistic sports drama."[10]

text: Real Steel had a production budget of $110 million.[2] Levy chose to set the film in state fairs and other "old-fashioned" Americana settings that would exude nostalgia and create a warm tone for the film's father-son story.[11] There was also an attempt for the scenery to blend in new and old technology.[10] Filming began in June 2010,[12] and ended by October 15, 2010.[13] Locations include areas around Detroit, Michigan, and across the state,[14] including at the Renaissance Center, the Cobo Arena, the Detroit Fire Department headquarters, the Russell Industrial Center, the Ingham County Courthouse in Mason, Michigan, the Leslie Michigan Railroad Depot, the former Belle Isle Zoo, and the Highland Park Ford Plant.[15]

text: Jason Matthews of Legacy Effects, successor to Stan Winston Studios, was hired to turn production designer Tom Meyer's robot designs into practical animatronic props. He said, "We have 26-and-a-half total live-action robots that were made for this film. They all have hydraulic neck controls. Atom has RC [radio-controlled] hands as well."[16] According to Jackman, executive producer Spielberg "actually said to Shawn, 'You should really have real elements where you can.' ... Basically if they're not walking or fighting, that's a real robot."[17] Levy added that Spielberg gave the example of Jurassic Park, where Winston's animatronic dinosaurs "got a better performance from the actors, as they were seeing something real, and gave the visual effects team an idea of what it would look like." As Real Steel was not based on a toy, Meyer said that "there was no guideline" for the robots, and each was designed from scratch, with an attempt to put "different personality and aesthetics," according to Levy. In Atom's case, it tried to have a more humanizing design to be an "everyman" who could attract the audience's sympathy and serve as a proxy to the viewer, with a fencing mask that Meyer explained served to show "his identity was a bit hidden, so you have to work harder to get to see him."[18] Executive producer Robert Zemeckis added that the mask "became a screen so we can project what we want on Atom's face." Damage was added to the robots' decoration to show how they were machines worn out by intense battles.[10]

text: For scenes when computer-generated robots brawl, "simulcam" motion capture technology, developed for the film Avatar, was used. As Levy described the process, "[Y]ou're not only capturing the fighting of live human fighters, but you're able to take that and see it converted to [CGI] robots on a screen instantaneously. Simulcam puts the robots in the ring in real time, so you are operating your shots to the fight, whereas even three, four years ago, you used to operate to empty frames, just guessing at what stuff was going to look like."[19] Boxing hall-of-famer Sugar Ray Leonard was an adviser for these scenes[11] and gave Jackman boxing lessons so his moves would be more natural.[20]

text: Release[edit]

text: Real Steel had its world premiere on September 6, 2011, in Paris at the Le Grand Rex.[21] The film had its United States premiere on October 2, 2011, in Los Angeles at the Gibson Amphitheatre.[22] It was commercially released in Australia on October 6, 2011,[23] followed by the United States and Canada on October 7, 2011. Its U.S. release, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures,[24] was originally scheduled for November 18, 2011,[12] but it was moved earlier to avoid competition with the first part of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.[25] The film was released in 3,440 theaters in the United States and Canada,[26] including 270 IMAX screenings. There were also over 100 IMAX screenings in territories outside the United States and Canada, with 62 screenings on October 7.[27]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: DreamWorks released the first trailer for Real Steel in December 2010 and was attached to Tron: Legacy.[28] In May 2011, DreamWorks released a second trailer. While the film features boxing robots, Levy said he wanted to show in the trailer "the father-son drama, the emotion Americana of it". He said, "We are very much the robo-boxing movie, but that's one piece of a broader spectrum."[29] In addition to marketing trailers and posters, DreamWorks enlisted the British advertising company Five33 to build large physical displays representing the film as it had done for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.[30] The studio also collaborated with Virgin America to name one of their Airbus A320s after the film, and one of the film's robots is pictured on its fuselage.[31] On September 19, Jackman appeared on the weekly sports entertainment program WWE Raw to promote the film.[32] In addition to Jackman making an appearance on the show, WWE named Crystal Method's "Make Some Noise" from the film's soundtrack as the official theme song for their returning PPV, Vengeance.

text: Jakks Pacific released a toy line with action figures based on Atom, Zeus, Noisy Boy, Midas and Twin Cities.[citation needed] The company has also released a one-on-one, playset fighting game with robots in a ring.[33] ThreeA released a line of high-end sixth-scale figures, as adapted by Australian artist Ashley Wood, based on Ambush, Atom, Midas, and Noisy Boy.

text: Jump Games released a fighting video game based on the film for Android and iOS devices,[34] and Yuke's made a game for the PS3 and Xbox 360.[35]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and both high-definition and standard-definition digital download on January 24, 2012, from Touchstone Home Entertainment. Additional material includes Disney Second Screen; deleted and extended scenes with introductions by director Levy; and a profile of film consultant Sugar Ray Leonard.[36][37]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Real Steel earned $85,468,508 in North America, and $213,800,000 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $299,268,508.[3] It had a worldwide opening of $49.4 million.[38] In North America, it topped the box office with $8.5 million on its opening day and $27.3 million in total on its opening weekend, claiming the number one spot, ahead of the other new nationwide release (The Ides of March) and all holdovers.[39] It managed first-place debuts in 11 countries including Hugh Jackman's native Australia ($4.2 million).[40]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Real Steel received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives a rating of 59% based on reviews from 211 critics, with a rating average of 5.9 out of 10. The website's consensus is, "Silly premise notwithstanding, this is a well-made Hollywood movie: Thrilling and exciting action with just enough characterization."[41] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a rating score of 56, based on 34 reviews.[42] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore during the opening weekend gave the film a grade A, on a scale from A plus to F.[43]

text: Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times rated the film 3 stars out of 4, saying, "Real Steel is a real movie. It has characters, it matters who they are, it makes sense of its action, it has a compelling plot. Sometimes you go into a movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised."[44] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A-, saying director Levy "makes good use of his specialized skill in blending people and computer-made imaginary things into one lively, emotionally satisfying story".[45]

text: Claudia Puig of USA Today said, "Though the premise of fighting robots does seem a plausible and intriguing extension of the contemporary WWE world, Real Steel is hampered by leaden, clichéd moments in which a stubborn boy teaches his childish father a valuable lesson."[46] James White of the UK magazine Empire gave the film 3 of 5 stars, saying, "Rocky with robots? It's not quite in Balboa's weight class, but Real Steel at least has some heft. There's barely a story beat among the beat-downs that you won't expect, and sometimes the saccharine gets in the way of the spectacle, but on the whole this is enjoyable family entertainment."[47]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award
Nominee
Category
Result

People's Choice Awards
Hugh Jackman
Favorite Action Movie Star
Won

Young Artist Award[48]
Dakota Goyo
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor
Won

Saturn Award
Best Performance by a Young Actor
Nominated

Academy Awards
Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, and Swen Gillberg
Best Visual Effects
Nominated

text: Music[edit]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: Real Steel's soundtrack consists of 13 tracks featuring artists including Tom Morello, Eminem, Royce da 5'9" (Bad Meets Evil), Yelawolf, 50 Cent, Limp Bizkit and Foo Fighters. Levy, a fan of The Crystal Method, invited that duo to contribute to the soundtrack; they recorded two new songs for it after viewing a rough cut of the film.[10]

text:
[show]Real Steel - Music From The Motion Picture[49]

No.
Title
Music
Length

1.
"Fast Lane"
Bad Meets Evil
4:12

2.
"Here's A Little Something For Ya"
Beastie Boys
3:09

3.
"Miss The Misery"
Foo Fighters
4:32

4.
"The Enforcer"
50 Cent
3:25

5.
"Make Some Noise (Put 'em Up)"
The Crystal Method
3:27

6.
"'Till I Collapse"
Eminem
4:59

7.
"One Man Army"
The Prodigy
4:15

8.
"Give It A Go"
Timbaland, Veronica
4:20

9.
"The Midas Touch"
Tom Morello
3:28

10.
"Why Try"
Limp Bizkit
2:53

11.
"Torture"
Rival Sons
3:37

12.
"All My Days"
Alexi Murdoch
4:56

13.
"Kenton"
Danny Elfman
1:40

Total length:
0:48:53

text: Score[edit]

text: The score album, "Real Steel: Original Motion Picture Score", consists of 19 tracks composed by Danny Elfman, and was released on November 1, 2011, in the US. Levy considered Elfman one of the few composers who could do a score similar to that of the Rocky franchise, alternating guitar-based ambient music and songs with a full orchestra.[10]

text: All music composed by Danny Elfman.

text:
[show]Real Steel[50]

No.
Title
Length

1.
"Charlie Trains Atom"
1:59

2.
"On The Move"
2:39

3.
"Into The Zoo"
1:02

4.
"Why We're Here (feat. vocal by Poe)"
0:55

5.
"Meet Atom"
3:17

6.
"It's Your Choice"
1:28

7.
"Safe With Me"
2:57

8.
"Atom Versus Twin Cities"
3:12

9.
"...For A Kiss"
0:56

10.
"Get In The Truck"
1:12

11.
"Bonding"
2:01

12.
"Twin Cities' Intro"
1:20

13.
"Parkway Motel (feat. vocal by Poe)"
1:47

14.
"This Is A Brawl"
1:48

15.
"You Deserve Better"
4:02

16.
"Into The Ring"
1:12

17.
"Taking A Beating"
1:33

18.
"Final Round"
6:53

19.
"People's Champion"
2:06

Total length:
0:42:19