Nowruz (literally 'new day') is the Iranian New Year, observed at the vernal equinox. It is a ~3,000-year-old tradition rooted in Zoroastrianism and inscribed by UNESCO in 2009.

When is Nowruz celebrated?

Nowruz begins at the exact moment of the March equinox (around March 20–21) and the festivities last 13 days, ending with Sizdah Bedar.

How many people celebrate Nowruz?

Nowruz is observed by an estimated 300 million people across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kurdish regions, India, Pakistan and the Iranian diaspora worldwide.

What is the Haft-Sin table?

The Haft-Sin (Seven 'S's) is a ceremonial table laid with seven symbolic items whose Persian names start with the letter س (S): sabzeh, samanu, senjed, seer, seeb, somaq and serkeh — each representing a virtue such as rebirth, fertility or patience.

Is Nowruz a religious holiday?

No. Nowruz pre-dates Islam by at least 1,500 years and is observed by Iranians of every faith — Muslims, Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews and Bahá'ís alike. It is a civil, family-centred new year.

How accurate is the Iranian solar calendar?

The Jalali calendar reformed by Omar Khayyam in 1079 CE has an error of less than one day in 5,000 years — more accurate than the Gregorian calendar used in the West.

What food is eaten on Nowruz?

The traditional Nowruz meal is sabzi polo ba mahi — herb rice with smoked white fish from the Caspian. Reshteh polo (noodle rice) and kuku sabzi (herb frittata) are also classics.

Why throw the sabzeh into water?

On Sizdah Bedar (day 13), the sprouted greens are believed to have absorbed the household's misfortunes; releasing them into running water sends them away with the current.

Where can I see Nowruz in Iran?

Persepolis, Pasargadae and the city of Shiraz host the largest public gatherings. Tabriz, Yazd and Isfahan also keep especially rich Nowruz traditions.

Spring Equinox · UNESCO 2009

Nowruz

The Persian New Year — three thousand years old, celebrated by 300 million people from Tehran to Tajikistan, and the only Iranian festival inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Image: Haft-Sin table, Tehran — Wikimedia Commons

Origins

A 3,000-year-old new year

Nowruz (نوروز, "new day") marks the first day of the Iranian solar calendar and is observed at the exact astronomical moment of the vernal equinox. Its roots reach into Zoroastrian cosmology of the late second millennium BCE, where the spring equinox signalled the triumph of light over the long winter darkness.

The Achaemenid kings received tribute from all 23 satrapies at Persepolis at Nowruz — the procession is carved in stone on the Apadana staircase. After the Arab conquest, Nowruz was preserved as a civil festival; the Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad continued to celebrate it, and the modern Iranian solar calendar (the most accurate solar calendar in use) was reformed by Omar Khayyam under the Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah in 1079 CE.

"Nowruz promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families, as well as reconciliation and neighbourliness."
— UNESCO Intangible Heritage citation, 2009

The 13 Days

A choreography of light, fire and water

Iranians do not celebrate one day; they observe a thirteen-day arc that begins on the last Tuesday night before the new year and ends with a mandatory picnic outdoors on the thirteenth day of spring.

The Nowruz calendar
Day	Name	What happens
Last Tue. eve	Chaharshanbe Suri	Bonfires in the streets; jump over flames chanting 'sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to'
Day 0	Tahvil-e Sal	The exact moment of equinox — families gather at the Haft-Sin table
Days 1–12	Did-o-Bazdid	Visits to elders first, then siblings, friends and neighbours; eidi gifts for children
Day 13	Sizdah Bedar	Nature day — every household picnics outdoors; the sabzeh is thrown into running water

Haft-Sin

The table of seven 'S's

At the heart of the home stands the Haft-Sin — a ceremonial table laid with seven symbolic items whose Persian names begin with the letter س (sin). Each item stands for a virtue invoked for the coming year.

Sabzeh

Sprouted wheat — rebirth

Samanu

Wheat-germ pudding — affluence

Senjed

Oleaster fruit — love

Seer

Garlic — health and medicine

Seeb

Apple — beauty

Somaq

Sumac berries — sunrise

Serkeh

Vinegar — patience and age

Plus

A mirror, painted eggs, goldfish, Hafez or Quran, and a lit candle

Across Borders

Nowruz beyond Iran

UNESCO inscribed Nowruz in 2009 on the joint nomination of Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; Iraq and Kazakhstan joined the dossier in 2016. The United Nations declared 21 March the International Day of Nowruz in 2010.

Haft-Sin table set for TahvilWikimedia Commons

Chaharshanbe Suri bonfiresWikimedia Commons

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

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References

All imagery is sourced from Wikimedia Commons, public-domain museum collections (British Museum, Louvre, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Museum of Iran), or UNESCO World Heritage records. No AI-generated images are used. Scholarly text is synthesized from Encyclopædia Iranica, the Cambridge History of Iran, and peer-reviewed publications.