The International Day of Nowruz, also spelt as ‘Nawruz’ or ‘Norooz’, is celebrated annually on March 21. Nowruz is a combination of the Persian words ‘now’ and ‘roz’, which translates to ‘new day’. The day marks the beginning of the Persian New Year and is widely observed by millions of people around the world, especially in countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and other regions with Persian cultural influence.

The festival of Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21. Nowruz 2024 will be celebrated on March 20. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.

Nowruz 2024 Date

Nowruz 2024  will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 20.

Nowruz History

With respect to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Nowruz was inscribed as an element in 2009, and extended in 2016, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This was done following a joint initiative of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In 2010, the “International Day of Nowruz” was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/64/253. This Resolution welcomes the efforts of Member States where Nowruz is celebrated to preserve and develop the culture and traditions related to Nowruz and encourages Member States to make efforts to raise awareness about Nowruz and to organize annual events in commemoration of this festivity.

Nowruz Significance

Nowruz plays a significant role in strengthening the ties among people and communities. As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Traditional customs of Nowruz include fire and water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, reciting poetry, symbolic objects, and more. However, these customs differ between the diverse peoples and countries that celebrate the festival. The festival includes rituals, ceremonies and cultural events, as well as the enjoyment of a special meal with family members and loved ones.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2024 12:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).