Nowruz; a 3000-year tradition of felicity and connectedness

March 20, 2021, may not mean much to most people in the world, but it is a very special day for people in Iran, and a few other countries, as well. It’s the start of a 13-day long, 3000-year tradition called Nowruz, and I’m going to tell you what this ancient tradition is all about and why it is so dear to so many Iranian people and other ethnic groups in the world. 

In technical terms, Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. More accurately, the exactly calculated moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is marked as the first day of Nowruz in the Iranian calendar, and that is why, unlike Christmas, Nowruz is celebrated at different times of the day or night, with families gathered to observe the rituals together. 

This year, the time of Sal Tahvil in Iran – the exact moment the new year begins – is Saturday at 13:07:28; which is perfect timing as families will be most likely awake and at home when the old year turns anew, sitting around the legendary Haft-sin table and wishing each other a happy new year. 

Iranian artists decorating huge, plastic eggs for Nowruz