Cultural Events

Nowruz is the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year, which begins on the spring equinox. Nowruz marks the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar calendar. It is celebrated worldwide by various ethno-linguistic groups, and falls on or around March 21 of the Gregorian calendar. In 2021 Nowruz fell on March 20th.. As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year. Nowruz has Iranian and Zoroastrian origins; however, it has been celebrated by diverse communities for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia. It is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians, Baháʼís, and some Muslim communities. Families celebrate by gathering together and observing several rituals. Nowruz has been celebrated since the reform of the Iranian calendar in the 11th century CE and in 2010 the United Nations officially recognized the "International Day of Nowruz" with the adoption of UN resolution 64/253.