Navruz Omad or the New Day has become

And his words are the clearest reflection of what the holiday is all about! Did you guess what spring holiday it could be? No, it's not International Women's Day since Beruni had passed away before this holiday was invented. It's respected and celebrated by many muslims, holiday of Navruz or Nausard (in Sogdian), Nausardi (in Khorezmian), Nauruz (in Persian) of the New Day.

The day Navruz is celebrated-March 21, was fixed by Khormuzd in 272-273, because before that New Year was celebrated twice: On March 21 - the day of sun coming into Aries, and on June 25- the day of sun coming into Cancer.

Before the reforms of Khormuzd the month had 30 days and was divided in six five - day long periods; the New Year was being celebrated during the whole month, but on different days in dependence with social status of a person. The first period belonged to kings, the second - to noble people, the third - to king's servants, the fourth - to valets, the fifth - to craftsmen and merchants, and the sixth - to peasants. Later New Year was fixed on definite date and was celebrated once a year during six days.
On the first day a king declared that he "was sitting in favor of the people" (satisfying their requests). On the second day he received dikhkans - landlords. On the third day horsemen and warriors from best troops and clerical people. On the fourth - members of his family (excluding sons). On the fifth the sons, and on the sixth - only people he considered worthy to have talk with him. He got gifts and gave them himself. Later some of them- the most valuable ones, were sent to the treasury.

In order not to bore my reader with long history and how Navruz is celebrated I decided to refer with some questions on modern Navruz to a person who celebrates this holiday every year. I had an honor to work along with this person and found out a lot about Omar Khayyam and film industry. It's Kayvan Mashayekh, originally from Iran, who now is a very talented U.S. director and screenwriter, who filmed "The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam" in Uzbekistan and now is working on "Cyrus the Great" to come out in 2007-2008.