Nowruz is the annual 13-day festival to celebrate the arrival of the Northern Hemisphere Spring equinox and the new year in the Iranian calendar. It is traditionally celebrated on the vernal equinox which usually falls between March 19 and 21. The vernal equinox is when the sun is above the Equator and day and night are equal in length.

History and Significance

Nowruz links back to Zoroastrianism, an ancient monotheistic religion and has been celebrated for approximately 3000 years as a time of new beginnings and new opportunities. The festival was celebrated as part of an early Persian calendar and was a time of honoring nature, the elements and deities. While Nowruz has Persian roots its celebration has expanded over time to include various regions across Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East and parts of South Asia.

The word 'Nowruz' comes from the Persian words نو meaning 'new' and روز meaning 'day'. This shows how celebration focuses on renewal, reflections and starting anew.

Traditions and Rituals

The customs vary across regions and cultures however the common tradition is spending time with family.

• Spring cleaning: Families often declutter and clean their house to symbolise the removal of bad luck and making space for new positive energy.
• Haft-Seen Table: This is an Iranian tradition that involves families gathering around the ceremonial Haft-Seen table, which displays seven items beginning with the Persian letter 'seen,' representing hope, renewal, and the arrival of spring.
  • Sirkeh (vinegar): Represents age and patience that often comes with ageing
  • Sikkeh (coin): For wealth and prosperity
  • Seer (garlic): For good health
  • Seeb (apples): For health and natural beauty
  • Sabzeh (wheat): For rebirth, renewal and good fortune
  • Samanu (wheat pudding): A sweet dessert for wealth, fertility and the sweetness of life
  • Sumac (berries): For the sunrise and the celebration of a new day
• Chaharshanbeh Suri 'The Festival of Fire': Takes place on the last Wednesday night before Nowruz where people gather in the streets and jump over small bonfires. As they jump, they chant sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to, literally meaning "[let] your redness [be] mine, my paleness yours", or a local equivalent of it. This is considered a purification practice.
• Wearing new clothes: It's tradition to buy and wear new clothes for Nowruz. This is because new clothes symbolise a fresh start.
• Sweets and food: This is included in the meals shared with family. You can see some of the dishes served in different cultures here.