Nowruz

The spring new year

Nowruz means new day in Persian, from now (new) and ruz (day). It starts the year in Iranian calendars, among them the Solar Hijri calendar used officially in Iran and once in Afghanistan. Its first month is Farvardin, and the year turns at the March equinox, so the holiday lands around 21 March, or between 19 and 22 March. In the northern hemisphere it opens spring. Astronomers fixed the date to the equinox: in the eleventh century Omar Khayyam reformed the calendar for that purpose, and the earlier astronomer Tusi described the new year as the day the sun entered Aries before noon.

Origins and history

Iranian religions lie behind the festival, above all Zoroastrianism, where it stands with the six Gahambar feasts as one of seven great observances. Another, Farvardigan, was kept in the hours between the sixth Gahambar and the dawn of Nowruz; these are the only ones the surviving Avesta names. Mary Boyce judged it likely that Zoroaster himself founded the day, though no clear date of origin exists, and it has been kept for more than 3,000 years. Achaemenid kings received gifts on it, and Xenophon describes a celebration at Persepolis. The Shahnameh credits King Jamshid, who overcame a deadly winter.

Fire before the feast

Chaharshanbe Suri, the festive Wednesday, comes first. Iranians hold it on the evening before the year's final Wednesday, lighting bonfires and setting off fireworks, then leaping over the flames while singing that their yellow goes to the fire and its red returns to them: weakness traded for strength and health. Trail mix and berries are shared. Disguised neighbours knock on doors, striking spoons against plates and bowls for snacks, a custom called qashoq zani. In Azerbaijan the run-up lasts a month, with four Tuesdays given to water, fire, earth and wind, and families tend the graves of their relatives on the eve.

Thirteen days outdoors

The holiday lasts thirteen days in Iran. On the thirteenth, families leave home for a picnic in the open air, a day known as Sizdah Be-dar. The greenery grown for the Haft-sin display, the arrangement of items set out for the festival, is carried away and thrown into running water. Young unmarried people, girls especially, knot the leaves first and make a wish for a partner. Trickery and practical jokes belong to the day too, in the spirit of April Fools' Day. Fire survives in Armenia as Trndez, a purification feast of the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic churches held forty days after Christmas.

Today and change

Most people who keep Nowruz treat it as a cultural rather than a religious event, yet Zoroastrians, Baháʼís and Ismaili Shia Muslims count it among their sacred days. The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 64/253 in February 2010, naming an International Day of Nowruz. Communities far from the old heartlands keep it too: Azerbaijani and Kazakh celebrants wear traditional dress, and people from across the Commonwealth of Independent States have danced together in Moscow. The spellings vary with the language, among them Norooz, Novruz, Navruz, Nauruz and Newroz.

How Nowruz is kept

The run-up begins weeks ahead in some places, with cleaning, sweets and visits. Fire plays a part first: bonfires, fireworks and spoon-banging for treats. On the day itself, households set out a Haft-sin display and gather with family; food, gifts and poetry are shared. In Azerbaijan four Tuesdays honour water, fire, earth and wind, and families visit graves. Then come visits and outings, ending on the thirteenth day with a picnic, the disposal of the Haft-sin greenery in water, and jokes.

When and where

The year turns at the March equinox, the moment in spring when day and night are of equal length in the northern hemisphere. In Iran the day is fixed by astronomical calculation: if the equinox falls before noon in Tehran, that date is Nowruz, and if after, the next day. The date generally lands between 19 and 22 March.

Nowruz belongs first to Iran, where it is the official new year, and to Afghanistan, where it was long the calendar's first day. It is an established local festival in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan, India and Central Asia, and Iranian and Afghan communities keep it in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.

What Nowruz means

The day joins human life to the turning of the seasons. Fire carries away sickness and weakness and returns warmth; water receives the old greenery; the equinox means balance and a fresh start. Biruni recorded the Iranian belief that the universe began to move on this day. Springs, seeds and light are greeted as the year opens, and for Zoroastrians, Baháʼís and Ismaili Shia Muslims the occasion carries religious weight as well.

Days Nowruz is marked

Nowruz dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Nowruz

See also

Indian national calendarIndia's official civil solar calendar, designed to bring unity to timekeepingLosarThe Tibetan Buddhist New Year festival of renewal, offerings, and family feastsUgadiA South Indian New Year feast celebrating life with sweet, sour, and bitter tastesNovruzThe Azerbaijani spring equinox festival of bonfires, sweets and sprouted wheat

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Nowruz on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.