March 19 marks the first day of spring for the Northern Hemisphere. However, for 300 million people worldwide, it also signifies the start of a new year. Nowruz, meaning ”new day,” is a holiday that celebrates the arrival of spring and the first day of the year in Iran, where the solar calendar begins with the vernal equinox.
Nowruz has been celebrated in Iran and the Persian diaspora for over 3,000 years. Its origins lie in Zoroastrianism, a religion practiced in ancient Persia that saw the arrival of spring as a victory over darkness. Despite the Islamic conquest of Persia in the seventh century and the decline of Zoroastrianism’s popularity, the holiday has spread globally through the diaspora of Persian people throughout history.
What is Nowruz and how is it celebrated?
Nowruz is traditionally celebrated on the vernal equinox, with many starting preparations weeks in advance. In the leadup to the holiday, people perform ritual dances and fill vessels in their homes with water, symbolizing health, in an attempt to ward off bad luck.
On the last Wednesday before Nowruz, many celebrate Charshanbe Suri, a night where they jump over fire or bang spoons on doors to scare away bad luck. People also visit cemeteries and bring offerings for the dead, whom some believe visit before the spring rite begins.
The Symbolism of Nowruz
The spring festival’s focus is on fertility and new life, so it’s fitting that many celebrants mark the occasion with seeds and eggs. Households set up tables covered with seven symbolic items they call haft-seen. Haft means “seven” and “seen” is “s” in Farsi, and all of the items start with the letter. These include seed sprouts (symbolizing rebirth), senjed (thought to spark love), garlic (protection), apple (fertility), sumac (love), vinegar (patience), and samanu, a pudding made of sprouted wheat (affluence). The table can also include a Koran, eggs, mirrors, and poetry.
Who celebrates Nowruz?
Nowruz has proven resilient in the modern era, too. After Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, the new government attempted to suppress the festival out of fear it might detract from the state religion. But those attempts failed, and Nowruz is now celebrated as an official state holiday in Iran. It’s also an official holiday in Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia’s Bayan-Ölgii province, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and it’s widely celebrated in places like Turkey, India and other places with Persian enclaves.
In 2009, UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, listed the holiday on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, noting that it “promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighborliness.” March 21 is officially recognized as International Nowruz Day, though the holiday itself is celebrated between March 19 and 22, depending on calendars and vernal equinox calculations.
FAQs
- What is Nowruz? Nowruz, meaning “new day,” is a holiday that celebrates the arrival of spring and the first day of the year in Iran.
- When is Nowruz celebrated? Nowruz is celebrated on the vernal equinox, which falls between March 19 and 22, depending on calendars and vernal equinox calculations.
- Who celebrates Nowruz? Nowruz is celebrated by 300 million people worldwide, particularly in Iran and the Persian diaspora.
