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March 29, 2005
Language Blog
Somebody pointed out the weblog of "Language Log" (http://www.languagelog.org/) to me. It's a wonderful place and has a master-link to other language and linguistics related sites.
I am being encouraged in my old plan to start a new weblog dedicated to IE linguistics and mythology. Maybe I do that soon.
Posted by Khodadad at 01:29 AM | Comments (1)
March 25, 2005
Yekkkkkk!
Not much to write. This past week, the supposed "holiday" week for Norouz, was actually my finals week. I did not do good in Sanskrit and Old Norse, but I think Middle Persian should be okay!
I think I am going to become a vegetarian! I watched "Titus Andronicus" (the movie, based on the Shakespeare play, staring Anthony Hopkins) last night with a friend of mine. I would not eat ground meat for a while for sure, and I would never have meat pie again!
Posted by Khodadad at 06:09 PM | Comments (8)
March 17, 2005
Nourooz Pirouz
Happy New Iranian Year to everyone!
Spring Equinox, the beginning of the Spring, is also the beginning of the Iranian New Year (this year, 20th of March, beginning of 1384 HS/1374 Yazdgerdi). It is an old celebration that probably has some relation to farming feasts of the ancient world.
Nourooz is preceded with a fireworks (and fire-jumping) night called "Chaharshanbe Soori". It happens on the evening before the last Wednesday of the year. People make little fires and jump over them, hoping for health in the coming year. They also go for other traditions, one of them (Qashoq Zani) is very much like "trick-or-treating".
Nourooz itself, the moment of Equinox, is celebrated by families around a table adorned with seven items starting with "S" in Persian. It also includes gold fish, a mirror, and other decorative items. After the start of the year, everyone hugs and kisses and people exchange gifts, and then we embark on a meal of herb-rice and fried White Fish! It is a feast to be seen, not to be described!
the 12 days of Nourooz are reserved for visiting the family and friends and stuffing yourself with fruits and dried nuts and receiving Eidi (cash presents from the elders to the younger ones).
The 13th day, the Sizdeh Bedar, is a "national picnic" day when everyone leaves the town to celebrate a day out in the nature (and in my opinion, the best part of the whole feast, after Chaharshanbe Soori). I would imagine it is also the National Happy Burglers day!:)
During the past 25 years, the Islamic Republic, with its extreme Arabicisation and Islamicisation agenda, has tried again and again, and fortunately failed again and again, to stop people from celebrating this national holiday. Their supposed reason is that the celebrations is pegan or has something to do with Zoroastrianism, both of them being wrong claims. Nourooz is an irreligious celebration with its roots in the farming culture of Iran and Mesopotamia and has never had religious connexions. It is also so embedded in the culture of the people of West Asia (from Iran to Azerbaijan and Turkey in the west to Tajikistan and Chinese Turkestan in the east) that it can never be taken out or supressed, least of all by religious fanatics!
Happy New Year! Norouzetan Pirouz, Harroozetan Nourooz!
Posted by Khodadad at 08:54 PM | Comments (2)
March 11, 2005
Low Jacking
As Obelix would no doubt say, "These Iranians are crazy!"
Posted by Khodadad at 12:54 AM | Comments (14)
March 08, 2005
You Do Feminism?
Since our favourite Persian weblog guru, Hoder, has left a link to the definition of Feminism in Wikipedia, I thought it would only be fair if I put another one here to Ali G's interview about "Feminism".
Posted by Khodadad at 01:16 AM | Comments (2)
March 01, 2005
Syrian Rice?
Syria Might Pull Away from Lebannon in Months
Abbas: No Signs of Syria Behind Suicide Attack
Rice says Syria helped terrorists kill Israelis
Rice turns up the heat on Syria
U.S., France put pressure on Syria
US General Calls on Syria and Iran to Stop Destabilizing Iraq
Shalom: No plan to strike Syria
Sen. Clinton urges punishment for Syria
US: Terrorists in Syria Bombed Tel Aviv
Syria must withdraw from Lebanon: Israeli FM
Rice Sees Evidence Syria-Based Group Behind Bombing
Posted by Khodadad at 08:27 PM | Comments (7)