To the Editor of the "Norrit-Ciuxa Dany News"
Sm—In his letter published last Monday in the "N-C.D.N." Mr. H. Toury referred to the Vernal Equinox as the Iranian New Year's Day.
In view of Persia having only recently been renamed Iran, and as 95 per cent, or so of the inhabitants thereof profess the Mohammedan faith, it will be interesting to know to what faction your correspondent alludes, to the Mohammedan section of Iran's population or to the real Tranians, who hardly form 5 per cent. of the total.
The latter having retained their ancient tradition and mode of wore ship, viz, Zoroastrian, one may reasonably' suppose that they cling to the Vernal Equinox as their New Year's Day, but as for the Mohammedans, who are followers of the Arabian prophet, it is inevitable that they should observe the Arab traditional calendar which consists of a 36 year cycle, by which its New Year at one time may be in the summer and of another in the winter, as they advance their calendar by one month every three years, thus commencing a new cycle every 36 years. Per~ haps Mr. Toury would be good, enough {0 give us a little further Hight on this subject, Inquinen, Shanghai, Mar. 24.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.