Google Doodle celebrates Nowruz 2024 today on Tuesday, 19 March 2024 with a unique artwork, marking the beginning of Persian New Year. According to Google, "This Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Pendar Yousefi, celebrates Nowruz, or the new year. It’s a lively springtime festival that promotes peace, respect, kinship, and the harmony between life and nature. More than 300 million people gather around the world on this day each year to celebrate the season of rebirth."
Nowruz or No-Ruz is a Farsi term for New Day, and is celebrated with great pomp and show in the Northern Hemisphere. The Persian New Year is celebrated by around 300 million people worldwide. It has been recognized for over 3,000 years in different regions, including Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East, the Balkans, and the Black Sea Basin.
Brief History of Nowruz
The yearly celebration of Nowruz dates back more than 3,000 years. Nowruz's earliest recorded origins date back to ancient Iran (then Persia). To commemorate the beginning of the blossoming season, it was held on the spring equinox. Many nations and ethnic groups along the Silk Roads began to follow the custom as time went on.
The haft-sīn is the most significant tradition observed on Nowruz. Families get together and arrange seven items, each of which stands for rebirth and revitalization. These things typically include wheat for luck and rebirth, wheat pudding for strength and power, berries for the sunrise, olives for love, vinegar for patience and age, apples for beauty and garlic for health, says Google.
Illustration of Google Doodle's Nowruz 2024 Artwork
Today's Google Doodle for Nowruz 2024 was created by Iranian guest artist Pendar Yousefi. The artist says that it is a dream come true to work on Nowruz Google Doodle because he has been celebrating the festival all his life. He further says that it was a bit challenging to cover all the facets of Nowruz in one single doodle after learning the rich tapestry of Nowruz traditions across diverse communities. However, he didn't give up and put lots of efforts in researching the customs and traditions of Nowruz, that ultimately helped him in creating this visual artistic masterpiece.
Pendar Yousefi says that to draw this Google Doodle, he took inspiration from his childhood memories of Nowruz which invoke feelings of joy, togetherness and hope. He further added that there are symbolic meanings of specific elements of this doodle, like in this artwork, the animals have gathered together in a flower filled courtyard to ring in the coming spiring under the blossoming tree. Even in challenging times, the spirit of Nowruz - the promise of renewal and 'a new day' on the horizon offers a beacon of hope.
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