Nowruz 2025: Traditions, haft sin and celebrations of the Persian New Year

Millions of people are preparing to welcome Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which signifies the beginning of spring and represents new beginnings as winter fades in the Northern Hemisphere and the days get longer.

This 13-day festival, which has been held for more than 3, 000 years, brings together people from Iran, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Balkans, parts of the Middle East, and other regions.

Everything you need to know about the tradition and its distinctive customs is contained here.

Describe Nowruz.

The Persian solar calendar’s “New Day” ceremony, Nowruz, marks the start of the new year and the start of the new year.

Nowruz has its roots in Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion that predates Christianity and Islam, which dates back three millennia. One of the oldest continuously observed holidays in the world is still there. Nowruz has been passed down through generations and is still a common sight today, despite the decline of many traditional festivals.

When the sun crosses the celestial equator, it aligns with the spring equinox. This signifies the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere as well as bringing a nearly equal day and nighttime synchronicity across the region, which also represents renewal, balance, and fresh beginnings.

What time is it observed?

The sun crosses the celestial equator at the exact time of the spring equinox, which is observed on Nowruz. In 2025, this occurs on Thursday, March 20, at 12: 31: 30pm Iran Standard Time (9: 01: 30 GMT).

The precise time varies depending on the country:

New York, USA: 5: 01am EDT
• United Arab Emirates: 1:01 PM GST
• India: 2: 31pm IST
• Azerbaijan: 1: 01pm AZT

The exact date and time are slightly changed each year because they are based on precise astronomical calculations, which is why the event typically occurs between March 19 and March 21.

Where is it observed?

Nowruz is well known in regions influenced by Persian culture, including Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Central Asian countries (such as Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan), as well as parts of the Caucasus, Middle East, and Balkans.

Additionally, Parsi and Zoroastrian communities in India and Pakistan, as well as Kurdish communities in Iraq, Syria, and Turkiye, recognize the holiday.

Between the 8th and 10th centuries, the Parsis, or Zoroastrians, immigrated from Persia (modern-day Iran) to South Asia, primarily as a result of the gradual decline of Zoroastrianism following the Muslim invasion of Persia in the 7th century.

What is the Nowruz holiday?

Its traditions are woven into Nowruz because it is a time for new beginnings, purification, and connection. Some fundamental customs are common across many cultures, despite the variations in how people celebrate in each country.

Families clean their homes before the holidays to let everyone in and welcome a new year.

People celebrate the last Wednesday before the New Year by lighting bonfires and jumping over them to represent letting go of the present and entering the future with renewed energy.

Spending time with family and friends, exchanging gifts, and eating together are the priorities for the first few days of Nowruz. People wear new clothes and enjoy traditional dishes like ash reshteh (noodle soup) and sabzi polo ba mahi (herbed rice with fish).

Families head outside for picnics, breathing fresh air, and letting go of bad luck come to an end on the 13th day of Nowruz.

What purpose does the Haft Sin Table serve?

A significant component of Nowruz and a family tradition is the Haft Sin table, or the table of seven things that begin with the letter “s” () in Persian.

Seven items that begin with “s” in Persian and have a symbolic meaning are arranged on top of the table after spreading a special cloth on it.

Although it’s unclear where this custom came from, it dates back to ancient Persia, where people believed that certain natural elements, like plants, fruits, and spices, had spiritual and protective qualities.

These items eventually became a recognized component of the Haft Sin, always preceding the number seven, which is deeply spiritually significant in Zoroastrian and Persian beliefs. It represents life’s fundamental elements (sky, earth, water, plants, animals, fire, and people): balance, creation, and balance.

What does the Haft Sin Table’s symbols mean?

The haft sin table contains a unique meaning for each item:

Symbols of growth and renewal in sabzeh (sprouted wheat, lentils, or barley). On the 13th day of the festival, it is typically grown in the days leading up to Nowruz.
• Because it is made from wheat, which takes time to sprout and develop, samuanu (sweet wheat pudding) represents patience, strength, and abundance.
• Senjed (dried oleaster fruit) – Describes love and wisdom and is thought to help people build relationships.
• Garlic is a sign of good health and protection from evil.
• Seeb (apple) – Shows good health and beauty.
• Serkeh (vinegar) symbolizes wisdom, patience, and aging.
• Sumac (crushed red berries) – symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness.

People frequently add a mirror to reflect on the past year, painted goldfish to symbolize new life, and candles to represent light and happiness to the seven “s” items.

To bring blessings and wisdom into the new year, some families include a book of poetry or prayers, such as the Quran, the Persian epic Shahnameh, or the poets’ works by Hafez.

Source: Aljazeera