International Day of Nowruz 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

International Day of Nowruz, observed annually on March 21, is a significant and anticipated global New Year’s celebration that occurs on the vernal equinox, heralding the advent of spring and symbolizing the rebirth and renewal of nature. Over 300 million people celebrate the United Nations’ holiday declared on March 21, 2010, also known as ‘Nauryz,’ ‘Navruz,’ or ‘Nowrouz’ translated as ‘new day’ and extending back at least 3,000 years. Nonetheless, predominantly in Iran, Afghanistan, the Kurdish regions of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, India, and Central Asia. The Nowruz Day celebration seeks to promote values of peace, friendship, and harmony in an effort to unite humanity worldwide.

The background of International Day of Nowruz

Nowruz is celebrated in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East, among other regions. Its origins can be traced to Zoroastrianism, a widely practiced ancient Persian religion believed to have originated around 3,000 years ago with light and fire (sustaining life) as its central focus. The Nowruz ancestral celebration encourages the strengthening of ties through the promotion of values of peace, solidarity, reconciliation, neighborliness, and mutual respect, thereby cultivating acceptance of cultural diversity and an appreciation of the differences between communities.

Pre-Persian festivities are enthusiastically ushered in by spring or home cleaning — “khooneh tekooni” Iranians, a few weeks before the actual New Year, ‘Nowruz’ festival wade off Satan and bad spirits residing in dark corners symbolizing new birth, to the actual ceremony, decking on colorful new clothing for a fresh start, jumping over bonfires dubbed the ‘Chaharshanbeh Soori’ which is symbolic of burning of all negativity from the previous year and cleansing the skate for good luck and new beginnings, children bang spoons on cooking pots ‘q Nowruz is the most anticipated festival, and we must confess that it’s quite packed.

In 2010, the International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, under the agenda item ‘culture of peace,’ in response to a request from the member states of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan, who prepared and introduced a draft resolution (A/64/L.30

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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NOWRUZ ACTIVITIES

Contribute to spring tidying

Embrace the essence of the Nowruz celebration by preparing in advance. You could observe the spring cleaning tradition by thoroughly cleaning your home to ward off evil and adorning it with fresh blossoms.

2. Organize your own set

The ‘haft-sin’ table is an integral part of the Nowruz celebrations and is typically adorned with soften (a special cloth), seven traditional food items symbolizing spring and renewal — wheat, lentils or barley, flowers, dried fruit, garlic, apples and vinegar, eggs symbolizing fertility, coins for prosperity, a live goldfish symbolizing new life, and a mirror for reflection.

Attend the festival

It is a 13-day event with numerous activities. Participate in the festivities and ring in the New Year in style. Sizdah be-dar — “getting rid of thirteen” — is observed by millions of people around the world on the thirteenth day of Nowruz and entails leaving the comfort of one’s home, appreciating nature, and discarding bad luck.

5 FACTS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NOWRUZ

Nowruz is thousands of years old The over 3,000-year-old spring holiday is observed by at least 300 million individuals.

Zoroastrianism is older than Christianity and Islam Nowruz is attributed to the ancient Persian religion Zoroastrianism.

Nowruz marks the beginning of the Iranian New Year. This first month of the Iranian solar calendar is also known as Persian New Year.

The custom of leaping over a fire signifies triumph. As fire is a symbol of illumination, goodness, and purification, it represents the triumph of good over evil.

International Nowruz Day was established in 2010. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the day to strengthen global connections.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NOWRUZ DATES