Food plays an important role in spiritual rituals and worship for many faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. The food offered to God is called prasada/prasadam, which means a gracious gift. Prasadam could be any o!ering, but typically an edible food is firrst o!ered to a deity in his or her name.

The first APHEN-ICH Capacity-Building Workshop on the Linking 2003 Convention and University ICH Programs was held in 2019 in Shanghai. Following the first APHEN-ICH Capacity-Building Workshop, ICHCAP holds second Workshop to develop ICH curriculum and implement it into the higher education institutes reflecting the global capacity-building strategy of UNESCO, and the spirit of 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. As a part of the capacity building workshop, ICHCAP and UNESCO Bangkok Office are organizing a webinar session open to the public to raise professor and researchers’ interest in developing ICH related courses and curriculum.

List of ICH Festivals applied for the Silk Roads Living Heritage Network Membership

Water bodies in the mountainous and coastal regions of Azerbaijan, including rivers, lakes, springs, and waterfalls, host many cultural ecosystems. These have led to both tangible and intangible cultural heritage creation and contain a perfect level of human–nature relations. Climate change is a complex phenomenon that is affecting all areas of human life, including \nwater-related ICH. Its effects cause existing traditions, knowledge, and skills to be gradually abandoned and forgotten, which in turn leads to the disappearance of ICH. Global climate change also affects employment among the population in other areas, such as agriculture and reduces traditional incomes. This leads to the gradual migration of the rural population to urban areas and, as a result, the loss of traditions related to intangible cultural values.

For thousands of years, Nowruz has been celebrated by the Persians. This ancient ceremony is celebrated every year on 1 Farvardin (the first month in Persian Calendar), roughly 20 April, to welcome the new year and the spring, which brings life back to Earth for a new beginning. However, preparations begin a few weeks before, and the actions and performances continue for almost two weeks.\n\nPreparing for New Spring\nNowruz preparations begin a few weeks prior to the new year, with a traditional spring cleaning called khaneh yekani. It is also customary to purchase new clothing for the family and maybe new furniture for the home as a way of welcoming the new year and spring.\n\nHaft Seen Table\nWhile preparing for Nowruz, the people create the Haft Seen Table, a special family activity that begins by spreading a special family cloth on a table and setting the table with the seven S (seen) items including:\n\nSumac: The crushed spice of berries for the sunrise and the spice of life\nSenjed: Sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree for love and affection\nSerkeh: Vinegar for patient and age\nSeeb: Apple for health and beauty\nSir: Garlic for good health\nSamanu: wheat pudding for fertility and sweetness of life\nSabzeh: sprouted wheat grass for rebirth and renewal of nature\nBesides these items, other symbolic items go on the Haft Seen Table, depending on the tradition of each family. For example, a mirror symbolizes a reflection on the past year, an orange in a bowl of water symbolizes Earth, colored eggs represent fertility, and coins for prosperity in the new year. Special flowers called Hyacinths symbolize spring, and candles radiate light and happiness. Families also put Qur’an or Shahnameh, an epic Persian story of colorful kings and princes written around 1000 CE by the great Persian poet, Ferdowsi.\n\nChahar Shanbe Suri\nIt is also a tradition to celebrate the last Wednesday of the old year, Chahar Shanbe Suri by lighting small bonfire in the streets and jump over the flame shouting “Zardie to az man, sorkhie man az to” which means “May my sickly pallor be yours and your red glow be mine” with which, the flame symbolically removes all the unpleasant and unwelcomed things of the previous year.\n\nQashoq Zani\nWhile others are jumping over the bonfire, others are busy performing Qashoq Zani, which is very much like Halloween. Children—with some of the adults—wander around the alleys making sounds by tapping a pan or pot to bring out the neighbors. The neighbors open their doors and give the children treats.\n\nFalgoosh\nA group of unmarried woman and teenagers huddled in the corners of dark alleys and stand falgoosh, listening to the conversations of passersby. The content of the first sentence of a conversation is regarded as an omen (fal) or portent for the future. This continues until there is no more wood to burn.\n\nTraditions\nIt is also a custom to make ash (a kind of soup) and serve it after the ceremony to end the Chahar Shanbe Suri program. After ending the ceremony, in a few days, all people around the country wait for the exact time of changing seasons, when the new year comes, the tahvil moment.\n\nThe Moment of Tahvil\nThe exact time of the new year is calculated by astrologists and occurs during the venereal equinox; this is tahvil. Throughout history, people have been informed when they hear “Haji Firooz” being sung. A special person crossing through their neighborhood and the singing and dancing would spread the news of Nowruz. He is dressed in a red satin outfit and has his face painted as a disguise. A few minutes left to tahvil, families and friends gather around the Haft Seen Table.\n\nTo Visit Elderly\nThe joyful moment of tahvil is delightful for people, and they want to share the good feeling with those beloved and close friends and relatives. The priority is to visit with the elderly on the new year, where they serve fruit, sweets, and nuts, and children receive small gifts or an amount of money called eidi from their grandparents. This is why children are so passionate for these visits. These visits continue depending on how busy the adults are or until the last day of the Nowruz holiday.\n\nSizdah Bedar\nOn 13 Farvardin, the last day of the Nowruz holiday, people will leave their places to spend the day in the countryside. It is called sizdah (thirteen) bedar (out) to accompany nature through the change of the seasons. They bring their sabzeh and get to tie grass and make wishes like making a wonderful spouse or wishing for money, and after that they throw it into running water.\n\nPhoto : Celebratory foods for Nowruz © Mohammad Shirkavand