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'Navroz', which means the 'New Day', is the day of the Iranian New Year. It is an occasion of great rejoicing throughout Iran and among the Shi'a communities all over the world. Besides being the New Year's day, it is also celebrated as the 'Festival of Spring',because it is at this period that winter makes its exit for the colorful spring season.
'Navroz', the Iranian New Year, was established some 2,500 years ago by King Jamshed. After the advent of Islam in Iran in 21 A.H., the celebration of this New Year was temporarily discontinued but it was reintroduced by the Abbasid Caliph Mansoor in 153A.H. Since this time, Navroz has been celebrated annually with great festivity by the Iranians as a national occasion and national custom.
In Fatimid Egypt, the Spring Festival was celebrated nationally during the reign of the first eight Fatimid Caliphs from 358 A.H. to 487 A.H. Although Fatimide Imams were ruling all over Egypt, this festival was in no sense an exclusively Ismaili festival because the Ismailis even at that time were a minority group.
The actual celebration of Navroz among the Ismailis could be said to have started during the Alamut Period of Ismaili history. Ismailis living in Alamut were farmers and hence, on the coming of the spring season they would look forward to prepare their farms for a good harvest. On this occasion they would also reaffirm their allegiance to Imam-e-Zaman and turn to him for his holy blessings.
The Imam would grace the occasion by his presence and distribute a handful of sweets,grain and dry-fruit to each of his followers with his blessings and prayers for health and prosperity, worldly as well as spiritual. What the Imam distributed to the murids is what we know to-day as 'Rozi'.At all other places, representatives of the Imam known as Aamil, Aziz or Mukhi would distribute the Rozi to the Jamat as 'Barakat' in the name of the Imam.
Ismailis today, celebrate this occasion with great festivity and congregate in the Jamatkhanas to offer special prayers and receive Rozi.
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