Nayrouz
This Nayrouz, many Copts will added under the Hellenistic Red
Christians, and the 21st with By the time the Arabian suffering,
remember the 20 Egyptian
an unconfirmed West African
origin,
along
with
many
others who were killed at the
hands of Islamic State
era.
culture had left its mark eaten
on
the
Egyptian
society, Egypt
the word ni-yarouous was The
during
dates’
traditionally
Nayrouz
red
symbolizes
in
exterior
the
white
insides
represent the purity
martyrs by the Coptic
of their hearts and
the
the
community that there
seeds
of
the
dates stand for the
contemporary
strength of their faith.
martyrs who still have
Some also eat the
the same zeal and
guava fruit, which has
faith of martyrs and
similar symbolism as
believers of the past,
and that Nayrouz is
are
the
are consecrated as
are
are
blood of the martyrs,
The 21 victims who
remind
which
symbolic of the martyrs’
militants (ISIS).
Church
dates,
red dates.
Deriving
from
the
not a distant memory, but a thought to originate from the Church’s
The word Nayrouz that we which translates to “new its foundation and core, the
living present.
know today has undergone
many
modifications.
Originally, the word comes
from the Coptic word ni-
yarouou (translates to rivers).
According to Nabil Farouq’s
book
(The Nayrouz Feast:
Oldest Feast for the Oldest
Nation), the suffix ous was
belief
that
the
Persian New Year Nowruz, martyrs’ strength of faith is
day” influencing the change Coptic Christians relive the
of the suffix to ouz instead struggle of their ancestors
of ous. Its alterations and through
celebration
and
modifications made it to what commemoration to remind
is known today-Nayrouz.
themselves
that
these
Coptic Orthodox Christians, martyrs should not solely
both in Egypt and abroad, belong to the past, but ought
culturally celebrate the New to live on.
Year by eating red dates.
44
As we approach the feast