Date/Time and Location
Nowruz, meaning “new day,” marks the first day of spring with over 300 million people taking part in the celebration of the vernal equinox. Nowruz starts at the precise moment that winter ends and spring begins on March 20, 2025 at 5:24 p.m. eastern time.
Nowruz originated from Zoroastrianism, the religion of Iran before the advent of Islam, and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in many regions, including the Balkans, Black Sea Basin, Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East. It is centered on the values of peace and solidarity between generations and families. These themes of reconciliation and community further emphasize Nowruz’s part in encouraging cultural diversity and friendship among people of all different identities.
About three weeks before Nowruz, people spring clean, “ridding their homes of any unnecessary clutter and lingering grime that’s settled in over the past year so they can start fresh” ( Persian New Year, or Nowruz, explained, Vox). A 13-day celebration kicks off on Nowruz. People celebrate with dinners, visiting family, and reflecting on the new year ahead of them.
In Iran, the centerpiece of the celebration is the Haftseen table, which includes at least seven (haft) items symbolizing new life and renewal:
- sib (apples): fertility and beauty
- sonbol (hyacinth): fragrance
- serkeh (wine vinegar): immortality and eternity
- senjed (wild olives): fertility and love
- sabzeh (wheat, barley, or lentil sprouts growing in a dish): rebirth
- samanu (wheat sprout pudding): sweetness
- sekkeh (coins): wealth
The celebrations end on the 13th day by taking the sabzeh from the Haftseen table to a natural body of water, where those celebrating let it float away, symbolizing the release of the old and the ushering in of the New Year.