Navroz or Nowruz is the Iranian New Year, also popularly known as the Persian New Year. The festival is celebrated by various ethnicities worldwide. Navroz festival is based on the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar, on the spring equinox, which falls on or around March 21 in the Gregorian calendar. In 2023, Navroz will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 21. As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, i.e., the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year. As we celebrate Navroz 2023, here’s all you need to know about the history and significance of the Persian New Year. March 2023 Holidays Calendar With Festivals & Events: Here's a List of All Important Dates and Indian Bank Holidays for the Month.

Date of Nowruz and Parsi New Year

The Nowruz festival falls every year on Spring Equinox, mostly on March 1, but the Parsi community in India follows the Shahenshahi calendar and thus celebrates their new year later in July or August. In 2023, the Parsi New Year will be observed on August 16 (Wednesday) in India.

History of Navroz

The word 'Nowruz' is a combination of the Persian words ‘Now’, which means ‘new and ‘ruz’, which means ‘day’. The origin of Nowruz has been credited to the mythical Iranian King Jamshid, who saves mankind from a winter destined to kill every living creature. As per records, to defeat the killer winter, Jamshid constructed a throne studded with gems. The demons rose him above the earth into the heavens, where he sat like a shining Sun. The world's creatures gathered and scattered jewels around him and proclaimed that this was the New Day (Now Ruz). This was the first day of Farvardin, which is the first month of the Iranian calendar.

Nowruz is marked by diverse communities for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia. Nowruz continues to remain a holy day for Zoroastrians, and some Muslim communities.

Significance of Navroz

Nowruz festival is rooted in the traditions of the Iranians and has been celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm across the world. Nowruz's timing in Iran is based on the Solar Hijri algorithmic calendar, which is based on precise astronomical observations. Traditional customs of Nowruz include fire and water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, reciting poetry, and symbolic objects, and family gatherings. The celebration of the festival varies as per customs and traditions between the diverse cultures and countries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2023 10:23 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).