The Parsis celebrate their New Year, which is known as Pateti in August with prayers, greetings, feasting, watching movies and plays in theatres and giving away of alms to the poor. Pateti is not the new year of the Parsis. It is the last day of the closing year, while the following day, Navroze, is the first day of the next. The word ‘Pateti’ means ‘repentance’. And since Pateti is the day of repentance, it is paradoxical to wish someone ‘Pateti Mukarak’. This year Pateti will be celebrated on August 17.
Jubel D’Cruz
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
