Nowruz | Festival, History, Practice, & Facts

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[{"p":1,"t":420167},{"p":6,"t":658081},{"p":1,"t":452880},{"p":1,"t":45645},{"p":6,"t":1357503},{"p":1,"t":444672},{"p":1,"t":190797},{"p":2,"t":452680},{"p":1,"t":658060},{"p":1,"t":31439}], "sequence": 1, "topics": {} }); </script> <article class="article-content container-lg qa-content px-0 pt-0 pb-40 py-lg-20 content md-expanded" data-topic-id="420167"> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nowruz">Nowruz</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/topic/Nowruz">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref375535"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Nowruz#ref375535">History of Nowruz</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref375536"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Nowruz#ref375536">Nowruz and Islam</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref375537"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Nowruz#ref375537">Practice of Nowruz</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nowruz/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Nowruz">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nowruz/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/255326-050-8C115811/Nowruz-Haft-sin-table-setting-Tehran-Iran-2022.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301214" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/26/255326-004-4158F688/Nowruz-Haft-sin-table-setting-Tehran-Iran-2022.jpg" alt="Nowruz haft-sīn spread" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/255328-050-8DC65754/Nowruz-relief-of-dignitaries-Persepolis-Iran.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301215" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/255328-004-68BC79E3/Nowruz-relief-of-dignitaries-Persepolis-Iran.jpg" alt="relief possibly depicting a Nowruz celebration in ancient Persepolis, Iran" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/255319-050-AACAC3FF/Shahnama-by-Ferdowsi-miniature-Khusraw-Celebrating-Nowruz.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301216" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/255319-004-2FF08277/Shahnama-by-Ferdowsi-miniature-Khusraw-Celebrating-Nowruz.jpg" alt="illustration of Nowruz in the Shāh-nāmeh of Ferdowsī" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/60373-004-A50165A0/feast-Noruz-Jahangir-centre-court-painting-style.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/38064" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/60373-004-A50165A0/feast-Noruz-Jahangir-centre-court-painting-style.jpg" alt="Mughal Emperor Jahangir celebrating Nowruz" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/255327-050-CB6C2EEF/Kurdish-Nowruz-festival-women-jump-over-fire-Istanbul-Turkey.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301217" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/255327-004-D4264FD6/Kurdish-Nowruz-festival-women-jump-over-fire-Istanbul-Turkey.jpg" alt="Kurdish women jumping over a bonfire as part of Nowruz festivities" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/255254-050-1342007C/Nowruz-Haft--sin-table-setting-United-nations.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301218" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/255254-004-A37D47D8/Nowruz-Haft--sin-table-setting-United-nations.jpg" alt="haft-sīn table setting" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/255331-050-65AD4D76/Parsi-woman-visits-knights-statue-Fire-temple-mumbai-Nowruz.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301219" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/255331-004-CD677CB5/Parsi-woman-visits-knights-statue-Fire-temple-mumbai-Nowruz.jpg" alt="visiting a Parsi fire temple for Nowruz" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" 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Persian New Year traditions and food explained</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 d-none mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10 px-sm-5 px-md-10 js-header-ai-ask-button"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Nō Rūz, Nō-Rūz, Nōgrūz, Nōrūz, Naurūz</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/charles-preston/13008388" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Charles Preston</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Charles Preston</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-03-20T00:00:00CDT" >Mar 20, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nowruz/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also spelled: </dt> <dd>Nōrūz, Nō Rūz, Nō-Rūz, Newroz, or Jamshedi Navroz</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Parsiism" topicid="444688">Parsiism</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Afringan" topicid="8475">Āfringān</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Yasna" topicid="652158">Yasna</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Satum" topicid="525074">Satum</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Baj" topicid="49383">Bāj</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Nowruz"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/420167/ae62fcc85c0dce2b80d66e2c723621c1" rel="nofollow">French citizen Olivier Grondeau is freed after over 880 days in a prison in Iran</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Mar. 20, 2025, 10:16 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref99837"></span>Nowruz</strong>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/feast-religion" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">festival</a> celebrating the start of the new year on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Persian" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Persian</a> calendar. Nowruz, meaning “new day” in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Persian-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Persian</a> (or Fārsī), occurs on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/vernal-equinox" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">spring equinox</a>, which is the first day of the month of Farvardīn on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/calendar/Ancient-and-religious-calendar-systems#ref60210" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iranian calendar</a>. The holiday usually falls on March 21 on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gregorian-calendar" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gregorian calendar</a>. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United Nations</a> has declared March 21 as International Nowruz Day. Nowruz began as part of the ancient <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zoroastrianism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Zoroastrian</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/religion" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">religion</a> and continues as a significant though largely <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="secular" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular" data-type="MW">secular</a> festival in Iran and in many countries with significant Persian cultural influence, including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Iraq" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iraq</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/India" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">India</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Afghanistan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Afghanistan</a>, and much of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Central-Asia-102306" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Central Asia</a>, as well as among the global Persianate <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/diaspora-social-science" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">diaspora</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref375535"> <h2 class="h1">History of Nowruz</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="301215" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/255328-050-8DC65754/Nowruz-relief-of-dignitaries-Persepolis-Iran.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/420167/301215"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/255328-050-8DC65754/Nowruz-relief-of-dignitaries-Persepolis-Iran.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/255328-050-8DC65754/Nowruz-relief-of-dignitaries-Persepolis-Iran.jpg?w=300" alt="relief possibly depicting a Nowruz celebration in ancient Persepolis, Iran" data-width="1600" data-height="1078" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/255328-050-8DC65754/Nowruz-relief-of-dignitaries-Persepolis-Iran.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301215">relief possibly depicting a Nowruz celebration in ancient Persepolis, Iran </a><span>Bas-relief depiction of dignitaries bearing gifts to Darius I (Achaeamenian dynasty) possibly for Nowruz. Fifth century <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>; at Apadana Hall, Persepolis, Iran.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Although it is probable that Nowruz existed as a festival in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zoroastrianism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Zoroastrianism</a> from its inception in the late second or early first millennium <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, it is not mentioned in any early Zoroastrian texts. During the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Achaemenian-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Achaemenian dynasty</a> (c. 559–330 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>), the Greek scholar <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Xenophon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Xenophon</a> (c. 430–350 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>) describes what very well may have been a Nowruz festival celebrated by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cyrus-the-Great" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cyrus the Great</a> taking place at the ancient Persian capital <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Persepolis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Persepolis</a>. However, the connection of the ceremony to Nowruz is debated in current scholarship. There are bas-<a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/relief-sculpture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">reliefs</a> on the walls at Persepolis that, some scholars suggest, depict tributes to the king as part of a Nowruz festival, but other scholars contend that this interpretation of the reliefs is a much later explanation. The festival first appears described in written <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Persian-literature" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Persian</a> texts of the first centuries <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span> during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Parthia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Parthian</a> empire under the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arsacid-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Arsacid</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dynasty" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasty" data-type="MW">dynasty</a> (247 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>–224 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>) and continued to be celebrated during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sasanian-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sasanian</a> era (224–651 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>), under which Zoroastrianism became the state religion. In the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pahlavi-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Pahlavi</a> texts of the Sasanian era we find the first direct mention of the festival as “<em>nōg rōz</em>.”</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Although the earliest sources provide little detail, Nowruz within Zoroastrianism relates to the vernal equinox and the beginning of spring. It is tied closely with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rapithwin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Rapithwin</a>, the personification of summer and noon, who retreats during the winter and returns with spring at noon on Nowruz. The oscillation between winter and summer <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="resonates" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resonates" data-type="MW">resonates</a> with the Zoroastrian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/dualism-religion" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">dualistic</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="moral" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral" data-type="MW">moral</a> cosmology that posits a battle between good and evil. The festival’s joyful commemoration of the return of spring might also connect with Zoroastrian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/eschatology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">eschatology</a>, which foretells of an eventual <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="apocalypse" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apocalypse" data-type="MW">apocalypse</a> resulting in a return to an original divine state of peace and bliss. Today, among the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parsi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Parsi</a> Zoroastrian <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="community" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community" data-type="MW">community</a> in western <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/India" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">India</a>, the holiday is a time of spiritual renewal.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="301216" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/255319-050-AACAC3FF/Shahnama-by-Ferdowsi-miniature-Khusraw-Celebrating-Nowruz.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/420167/301216"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/255319-050-AACAC3FF/Shahnama-by-Ferdowsi-miniature-Khusraw-Celebrating-Nowruz.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/255319-050-AACAC3FF/Shahnama-by-Ferdowsi-miniature-Khusraw-Celebrating-Nowruz.jpg?w=300" alt="illustration of Nowruz in the Shāh-nāmeh of Ferdowsī" data-width="1278" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/255319-050-AACAC3FF/Shahnama-by-Ferdowsi-miniature-Khusraw-Celebrating-Nowruz.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301216">illustration of Nowruz in the <em>Shāh-nāmeh</em> of Ferdowsī</a><span>Illustration of Khosrow celebrating Nowruz in the <em>Shāh-nāmeh</em> of Ferdowsī. From Shiraz, Iran, 1560; in the British Library.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">One oft-cited account of the founding of Nowruz is told in the <em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shah-nameh" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shāh-nāmeh</a></em> (Persian: “Book of Kings”), the epic poem of Persia compiled in 1010 by the poet <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ferdowsi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ferdowsī</a> (c. 935–c. 1020–26 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>). According to the <em>Shāh-nāmeh</em>, Nowruz was initiated by King Jamshīd (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yima" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Yima</a> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Avestan-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Avestan</a> texts of Zoroastrianism). After creating civilization and ruling over a prosperous kingdom, Jamshīd decided to celebrate his accomplishments, created a bejeweled throne that rose into the sky, and declared that day the “new (<em>nō</em>) day (<em>rūz</em>).”</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref375536"> <h2 class="h1">Nowruz and Islam</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="38064" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/60373-004-A50165A0/feast-Noruz-Jahangir-centre-court-painting-style.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/420167/38064"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/60373-004-A50165A0/feast-Noruz-Jahangir-centre-court-painting-style.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/60373-004-A50165A0/feast-Noruz-Jahangir-centre-court-painting-style.jpg?w=300" alt="Mughal Emperor Jahangir celebrating Nowruz" data-width="183" data-height="300" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/60373-004-A50165A0/feast-Noruz-Jahangir-centre-court-painting-style.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/38064">Mughal Emperor Jahangir celebrating Nowruz</a><span>Painting of the feast of Nowruz at Jahangir's court. Mughal style, c. 1615; in Rampur Raza Library in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh state, India.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">After the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Iran/History#ref32160" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Arab Muslim conquest of Sasanian Persia</a> in 633–51 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>, despite the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/how-have-zoroastrians-been-treated-in-muslim-iran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sidelining of Zoroastrian political control</a> with the rise of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Islam</a> in the region, Nowruz persisted as a key civil holiday among the local Persian population to mark the new year. It continued to be celebrated during the Persianate <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samanid-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Samanid</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buyid-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Buyid</a> Islamic <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dynasties" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasties" data-type="MW">dynasties</a> as well as later Turkic and Mongol dynasties that ruled the region and spread the festival throughout Central Asia. Muslim scholars described the practice of Nowruz in detail, such as in a text by polymath and early scholar of religion <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Biruni" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">al-Bīrūnī</a> (973–c. 1052) and in a work ascribed to poet and scientist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Omar-Khayyam-Persian-poet-and-astronomer" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Omar Khayyam</a> (1048–1131).</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Since the festival originated within Zoroastrianism, Muslim writers have occasionally <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="repudiated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repudiated" data-type="MW">repudiated</a> Nowruz, but it has nevertheless survived and thrived and has been overlaid with Islamic meanings. Initially, some Muslim <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/caliph" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">caliphs</a> and theologians specifically forbade the festive practice of Nowruz. However, other Muslim writers legitimized the practice, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hadith" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hadiths</a> (sayings or stories of the Prophet <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"> Muhammad</a>) were recorded claiming that Muhammad accepted a Nowruz gift and blessed the day. Another hadith, attributed to the sixth <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/imam" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">imam</a> of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shii" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shiʿi</a> tradition, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jafar-ibn-Muhammad" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq</a>, describes Nowruz as the day <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Allah" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">God</a> made the sun rise, wind blow, and earth flourish; the day God made a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="covenant" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covenant" data-type="MW">covenant</a> with humanity to worship none but God; and the day <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Noah" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Noah</a>’s ark came ashore. The text further considers Nowruz to be the day God sent the angel <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gabriel-archangel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gabriel</a> to the Prophet Muhammad, the day Muhammad destroyed the idols of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mecca" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mecca</a>, and the day God will resurrect the dead. As a result of this legitimation in Islamic tradition, Nowruz has become an important holiday among <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shii" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shiʿi</a> Muslims, including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Twelver-Shia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Twelver Shiʿi</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ismailite" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ismāʿīlīs</a>, and<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Alawite" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">ʿAlawites</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Trade routes such as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Silk-Road-trade-route" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Silk Road</a> and the expansions of various Muslim empires spread the tradition of Nowruz far and wide. It came into India not only with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parsi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Parsis</a>, Zoroastrians who arrived sometime between the 8th and 10th centuries <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>, but also with the Muslim <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="conquest" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/conquest" data-type="EB">conquest</a> of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Indian-subcontinent" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Indian subcontinent</a> from the 12th century<span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>. Nowruz was especially significant for the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mughal-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mughal dynasty</a> rulers such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Akbar" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Akbar</a> and his son <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jahangir" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jahangir</a>, who made the festival a prominent part of their ritual practice. Observance of Nowruz by Muslims expanded the holiday to locales as far west as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Albania" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Albania</a>, among the Bektashi <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sufism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sufi</a> Muslim order, and as far east as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/China" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">China</a> among the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Uyghur" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Uyghurs</a>.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In more recent times, since the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Iranian-Revolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iranian Revolution</a> of 1979, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/supreme-leader-of-Iran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">supreme leaders</a> and clerics of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Iran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iran</a> have sought to discourage the observance of traditional Nowruz celebrations on account of their non-Islamic Zoroastrian roots. However, Iranians continue to cherish the traditions, and the government, unable to weaken their fervor, issues yearly public Nowruz statements and permits public celebrations. For some Iranians the practice of Nowruz has come to signify a resistance to religious leadership in Iran. In <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Afghanistan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Afghanistan</a> the ruling <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taliban" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Taliban</a> have attempted to ban the observance of Nowruz since they consider the practice un-Islamic, though it continues to be celebrated in <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="clandestine" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clandestine" data-type="MW">clandestine</a> ways.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Under the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Soviet Union</a>, Nowruz was thought to be religious, specifically Islamic, and was therefore banned in Central Asian regions of the U.S.S.R. under the anti-religious policies of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Communist-Party-of-the-Soviet-Union" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">communist</a> state. After the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/the-collapse-of-the-Soviet-Union" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">fall of the Soviet Union in 1991</a>, Nowruz now is publicly observed in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Azerbaijan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Azerbaijan</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kazakhstan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kazakhstan</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyrgyzstan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kyrgyzstan</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tajikistan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tajikistan</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Turkmenistan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Turkmenistan</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Uzbekistan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Uzbekistan</a> according to local customs.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h4"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref375537"> <h2 class="h1">Practice of Nowruz</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="301217" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/255327-050-CB6C2EEF/Kurdish-Nowruz-festival-women-jump-over-fire-Istanbul-Turkey.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/420167/301217"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/255327-050-CB6C2EEF/Kurdish-Nowruz-festival-women-jump-over-fire-Istanbul-Turkey.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/255327-050-CB6C2EEF/Kurdish-Nowruz-festival-women-jump-over-fire-Istanbul-Turkey.jpg?w=300" alt="Kurdish women jumping over a bonfire as part of Nowruz festivities" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/255327-050-CB6C2EEF/Kurdish-Nowruz-festival-women-jump-over-fire-Istanbul-Turkey.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301217">Kurdish women jumping over a bonfire as part of Nowruz festivities</a><span>Two women jumping over a bonfire during a Kurdish celebration of Nowruz in Istanbul on March 21, 2018.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Nowruz traditions have varied widely throughout its long <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/history" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">history</a> and wide geographical spread. In some of the earliest written descriptions by Muslim observers, the spring festival was one of merriment, sweets, music, the sprinkling of water, gifts, fine clothes, and colored eggs. It was observed by royalty with feasting, music, and poetry.</p><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In current practice, there are some notable common themes. The festival occasions a lengthy break from school and work while practitioners clean their homes and visit relatives. The Tuesday evening preceding Nowruz, Chahārshanbeh Sūrī (Scarlet Wednesday), prepares the way for the new year and features rituals such as jumping over bonfires. Communal festivities include feasts and celebrations of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> such as musical performances, poetry readings, and traditional sports and dances. In Iran the arrival of Nowruz is heralded by the marching in the streets of actors dressed up as the troubadour Ḥājī Fīrūz, who is covered in soot and clad in red, as well as the traditional character Amu Nowruz (Uncle Nowruz), an older gentleman who brings children gifts and reunites with his beloved wife, Nane Sarma (Lady Frost), on Nowruz. The festival is followed on the 13th day of Farvardīn by Sīzdah Bedar (“getting rid of 13” or “13 outdoors”), which marks the end of the new year holiday festivities and is celebrated with outdoor picnics.</p><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD12 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="301218" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/255254-050-1342007C/Nowruz-Haft--sin-table-setting-United-nations.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/420167/301218"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/255254-050-1342007C/Nowruz-Haft--sin-table-setting-United-nations.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/255254-050-1342007C/Nowruz-Haft--sin-table-setting-United-nations.jpg?w=300" alt="haft-sīn table setting" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/255254-050-1342007C/Nowruz-Haft--sin-table-setting-United-nations.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301218"><em>haft-sīn</em> table setting</a><span><em>Haft-sīn</em> table setting for Nowruz; in the United Nations headquarters in New York City, March 22, 2022.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">A central feature of Nowruz observance, especially in Iran, is the <em>haft-sīn</em>, or “seven s’s,” called so because of the seven items beginning with the Persian letter <em>s</em> that are arranged on a special cloth (<em>sofreh</em>) on a table. These seven items are often accompanied by additional objects that start with <em>s</em> and others that have symbolic importance. The items on the <em>haft-sīn</em> represent renewal and springtime. Its centerpiece is the <em>sabzeh</em>, a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/germination" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sprouting</a> plant that symbolizes rebirth. The items on display generally include:</p><span class="marker MOD12 mod-inline"></span> <span class="md-list-header">The <em>haft-sīn</em> table</span><ul class="list-none "><li><div> <span class="md-list-header">Main seven items beginning with Persian <em>s</em></span><ul><li><div><em>sabzeh</em>: sprouted wheatgrass, a symbol of growth</div></li><li><div><em>samanū</em>: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/wheat" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">wheat</a> pudding, a symbol of strength</div></li><li><div><em>senjed</em>: dry lotus tree fruit, a symbol of love</div></li><li><div><em>serkeh</em>: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/vinegar" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">vinegar</a>, a symbol of age and patience</div></li><li><div><em>sīb</em>: apple, a symbol of beauty</div></li><li><div><em>sīr</em>: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/garlic" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">garlic</a>, a symbol of health</div></li><li><div><em>somāq</em>: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/sumac" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">sumac</a> berries, a symbol of sunrise</div></li></ul> <span class="md-list-header">Other items beginning with <em>s</em></span><ul><li><div><em>sāʿat</em>: clock, a symbol of time</div></li><li><div><em>sekkeh</em>: coins, a symbol of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="prosperity" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/prosperity" data-type="EB">prosperity</a></div></li><li><div><em>sonbol</em>: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/hyacinth-plant" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hyacinth</a>, a symbol of spring</div></li></ul> <span class="md-list-header">Other symbolic items not beginning with <em>s</em></span><ul><li><div>book: a symbol of wisdom</div></li><li><div>candle: a symbol of enlightenment</div></li><li><div>eggs: a symbol of fertility</div></li><li><div>goldfish: a symbol of progress</div></li><li><div>mirror: a symbol of self-reflection</div></li></ul> </div></li></ul> <span class="marker PREMOD13 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The specific book featured on the <em>haft-sīn</em> spread depends on the religious community observing Nowruz, since it has largely become a cultural festival to which each community brings its own meaning. The featured book could be the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Qurʾān</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shah-nameh" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Shāh-nāmeh</em></a>, or <em>Dīvān</em> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hafez" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ḥāfeẓ</a> among Muslims; the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Avesta-Zoroastrian-scripture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Avesta</a> among Zoroastrians; the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bible" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bible</a> among Christians; a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Torah" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Torah</a> or <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/siddur" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">siddur</a> (Jewish prayer book) among Iran’s Jewish population; or the <em>Kitāb-i-aqdas</em> among <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bahai-Faith" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bahāʾī</a> followers.</p><span class="marker MOD13 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD14 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">According to scholars, the display of the <em>haft-sīn</em> table is possibly quite novel, beginning in its current form in the past century or two, although the items likely have deeper associations with the holiday. It is primarily an Iranian practice and is not a part of Kurdish, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pashtun" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Afghan</a>, or <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tajik-people" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Tajik</a> observance of Nowruz. The modern <em>haft-sīn</em>, while not historically part of their observance, has become a feature of Zoroastrian festivities more recently.</p><span class="marker MOD14 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD15 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="301219" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/255331-050-65AD4D76/Parsi-woman-visits-knights-statue-Fire-temple-mumbai-Nowruz.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/420167/301219"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/255331-050-65AD4D76/Parsi-woman-visits-knights-statue-Fire-temple-mumbai-Nowruz.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/255331-050-65AD4D76/Parsi-woman-visits-knights-statue-Fire-temple-mumbai-Nowruz.jpg?w=300" alt="visiting a Parsi fire temple for Nowruz" data-width="1600" data-height="1377" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/255331-050-65AD4D76/Parsi-woman-visits-knights-statue-Fire-temple-mumbai-Nowruz.jpg" data-href="/media/1/420167/301219">visiting a Parsi fire temple for Nowruz</a><span>A woman of the Parsi community touching the carved reliefs of Zoroastrian priests at a fire temple in Tardeo, Mumbai, India, during Nowruz, August 17, 2017.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The Zoroastrian Parsis in India celebrate Nowruz twice a year. It is observed in March, as Jamshedi Navroz, primarily due to modern interactions with Iranians and Zoroastrian history in Iran. Parsi liturgical calendars which do not take into account leap years have resulted in a drift of the date of the religious holiday. In the 21st century some Parsis celebrate Nowruz in August, while others do so in July. The date <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="discrepancy" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/discrepancy" data-type="EB">discrepancy</a> is due to debates about a leap month. One group follows a calendar that added leap month in the 12th century <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>, but Zoroastrians in Iran, and some Parsis in India who later followed their lead, did not add a leap month at that time, resulting in their celebration of Nowruz in July. Among the Parsis, the day before Nowruz is called Pateti and is a day of repentance. Some Parsis refer to the Nowruz itself as Pateti. Nowruz for Parsis is a celebration that warrants the performance of five prescribed liturgies: the <span id="ref99838"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Afringan" class="md-crosslink ">Āfringān</a>, prayers of love or praise; the <span id="ref99839"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baj" class="md-crosslink ">Bāj</a>, prayers honoring <em>yazata</em>s (“ones worthy of worship”) or <em>fravashi</em>s (“preexistent souls”); the <span id="ref99840"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yasna" class="md-crosslink ">Yasna</a>, a rite that includes the offering and ritual drinking of the sacred liquor <em>haoma</em>; the Fravartigan, or Farokhshi, prayers <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="commemorating" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorating" data-type="MW">commemorating</a> the dead; and the <span id="ref99842"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Satum" class="md-crosslink ">Satum</a>, prayers recited at funeral feasts. Throughout the day, Parsis greet one another with the rite of <em><span id="ref99843"></span>hamāzor</em>, in which one’s right hand is passed between the palms of another. Words of greeting and good wishes are then exchanged.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD15 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD16 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kurd" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kurds</a>, who reside across <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Iraq" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iraq</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Iran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iran</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Turkey" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Syria</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Armenia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Armenia</a>, have also long observed Nowruz. They light bonfires the night just before the holiday. Their tale of the holiday’s origin is rooted in Zoroastrian mythology as recounted in the <em>Shāh-nāmeh</em>, but they do not <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="cite" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cite" data-type="EB">cite</a> the typical Nowruz origin story associated with the prosperity of Jamshīd. The Kurdish account instead ascribes the significance of the day to the defeat of the tyrannical ruler Ẓaḥḥāk by the ancient blacksmith Kāveh. Thus the holiday for Kurds celebrates victory over oppression. In recent decades the Kurdish celebration of Nowruz has come to signify not just the new year but also their desire for an independent <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kurdistan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kurdistan</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD16 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/charles-preston/13008388">Charles Preston</a></span> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-simplify-root"></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":420167,"pageLength":1857,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-134/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.134.26"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-134/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.134.26' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"LARGE","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true,"hasAiTopQuestions":false,"hasSimplifyButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Nowruz | Festival, History, Practice, & Facts | Britannica