I would like to give some examples about traditional stories in different cultures and analyze the difference. Stories, better to say, children stories, play a significant role in order to culture the next generation. It is possible to achieve some cultural hints through the simple litrature of children stories.
The Story of “Naneh Sarma”
Firstly, I would like to give you a short explanation about celebrating the new year in Iran. People celebrate the new year Nowrooz at the first day of spring on the 21st of March. There is a very beautiful children story about the reason, why Iranians celebrate this day as the new year.
Once upon a time, there was an old woman living in the mountains of Alborz. Her name was Naneh Sarma (Winter/Cold Grandma).
Old Naneh Sarma had a son called “Nowrooz”. Some other stories say that Nowroos was her lover. He was very charming and beautiful. Every where he walked, he brought the warm weather, life and spring. Flowers grew on the ways he passed. Ancient Iranians loved him, and celebrated his arrival every year.
Naneh Sarma had long white hair like snow. She loved the cold weather. As the cold weather arrived, she sent it to the alley down the mountains. As the days got shorter and nights where longer, she started singing and the trees fell asleep. Animals could find shelters and poeple gathered wood.
Nahe Sarma spun linen threads from the clouds above her house. The colours varied from day to another, reflecting the sunlight that beamed through them. She was thinking about her son/lover. He promised her to visit again in a few months. She was waiting for him for a long time and prepared a nice and beautiful tish decorated with colorful birds and flowers.
At these times, she would get up and stretch for a few minuets, then slowly walk to her front door. She took a deep breath and slowly blow into the air. Down in the alley, the snow would start. Children and adult were happy, dancing and playing under the snow.
On the fortieth night of winter, people gathered at elder houses, singing poems, eating pomegranate and watermelon. Celebrating the longest night of the year, as the sun was being born that night. From this point, the days would be longer and every night get shorter.
As days were getting longer, old woman got tired more and more. But she was hopeful visiting her son again and it was what kept her happy. She step and washed the floors and down in the alley there was a fluffy snow. She dusted her furniture and down in the alley was a strong wind.
At this point, the old woman was thinking only about Nowrooz, although all her house cleaning, made her exhausted. She was very tired however she grew seven trays of cereals so that people could see which one would grow the best during the next year. When seeds grew taller, she put a red ribbon around them and continued decorating her table with red apples, dyed eggs, candles, wine, milk, lotus, fruit, a mirror, sweets, coins. As she put each item on the table, she wished everybody, health, wealth and love.
One the eve of last Wednesday of the year, people in the valley, started making fire and dance happily around it. This was their way of calling upon their ancestors to visit them, and bless their homes and their families.
The weather began getting warmer and the old woman was very tired. She sat on her chair and fell into a deep sleep. At this time Nowrooz walked into the valley. With every step that he took, grass grew and everything turned into green and the flowers started growing. He finally stepped into the old woman house but she was asleep. She was so old and tired that he did not wake her up. He was supposed to continue his way around the world to bring the spring and warm weather.
Literature,
Cmes.fas.harvard.edu. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://cmes.fas.harvard.edu/files/cmes/files/sarma_story.pdf?m=1429890316> [Accessed 24 November 2020].
