March 21st, 1912,
Victoria Hotel, Alexandria, Egypt
According to the ancient customs everyone of the nations
have general holidays when all the people become happy and enjoy themselves.
That is, they choose the day of the year wherein a great event or a glorious
matter occurred. On that day, they manifest great joy and happiness. They visit
one another. If there are any feelings of bitterness among them they become
reconciled on that day, hard hearted feelings pass away and they unite and love
each other. As great events occurred on the day of Naw-Ruz for the Persians, therefore,
that nation made it a national feast and considered it as a holiday.
This is indeed a blessed day because it is the beginning of
the temperate season and the commencement of springtime in the northern hemisphere.
All earthly things whether trees, animals or human become refreshed; they
receive power from the life-giving breeze and obtain a new life; a resurrection
takes place, and because it is the season of springtime there is a general marvellous
activity in all contingent beings.
There was a time when the Persian dynasty became extinct and
no trace remained thereof. On such a day(Naw-Ruz) it became renewed. Jamsheed ascended
the throne [about 3000 B.C.]. Persia became happily settled. Its power, which
had been dissipated, once more returned. The hearts and souls became possessed
with wonderful susceptibilities, to such a degree that Persia became more
advanced than it was in former days, under the sovereignty of Kayomrth and
Hoshang. The glory and greatness of the government and nation of Persia took a
higher station. Likewise, a great many events occurred upon the day of Naw-Ruz that
brought honour and glory to Persia and to the Persians. Therefore, the Persian
nation, for the last five or six thousand years, has always considered the
Feast ofNaw-Ruz as a day of national happiness and until now it is sanctified
and recognized as a blessed day.