PURPOSE: March 21st is the first day of the spring equinox and the beginning of the new year for more than 300 million people. Nowruz Day has been celebrated by some cultures for more than 3,000 years. The celebration International Day of Nowruz on 21 March means the affirmation of life in harmony with nature, awareness of the inseparable link between constructive labour and natural cycles of renewal and a solicitous and respectful attitude towards natural sources of life. The Persian new year is a two-week festival that marks the start of spring where peoples are singing traditional songs.
FORUM: "NOWRUZ 1403." International Day of Nowruz 2024. The Day of Nowruz marks the first day of spring. The Celebration of the Day plays a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples based on mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good neighbourliness. Its traditions and rituals reflect the cultural and ancient customs of the civilizations of the East and West, which influenced those civilizations through the interchange of human values. Join the conversation with the hashtags: #Nowruz1403, #20March or #InternationalDayofNowruz!
EVENTS: The Nowruz 1403 global event will be held on March 20th at UN headquarters and worldwide. Join the Celebration of the International Day of Nowruz 2023. The event will be such an infusion of culture. many of the people who already participated express that the event makes them feel as if they are home in the Middle East. Join us to celebrate Norooz, the Iranian New Year, with colleagues and friends from Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and beyond. Learn more about the Persian New Year 2024 celebrations.
STATEMENTS:
PODCASTS: The Persian New Year is celebrated in several countries encompassing many ethnicities and political views, including Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, India, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: The festival of Nowruz is marked by spring cleaning, purchasing new clothes, visiting with loved ones, and giving gifts. Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
Nowruz means "New Day" and is the Persian New Year. On the first day of the New Year, families dress up in their new clothes and wait near the Haft Seen table for the exact moment of the New Year, then exchange gifts. Afterwards it is traditional to pay visits to family, friends and neighbours, starting with the most senior members of the family. Visits are returned, so there is much to-ing and fro-ing and lots of opportunity to tuck into new year food! If family and friends live far enough away to make visiting difficult, big family parties may be held instead. Visiting continues for 12 full days. On the 13th day, Sizdah Bedar, families and friends gather together outside for picnics, music, dancing and outdoor fun. On this day the sabzeh (sprouting wheat) from the Haft Seen table is thrown away outdoors, taking with it the family's bad luck.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
On the day of Nowruz, there is much feasting, visiting family members and friends, and exchanging gifts. A wide range of cultural performances and traditions also take place.
In some areas, a man will dress up as Haji Firuz, the traditional herald of the new year - wearing all red clothes, with a red felt hat and face covered in soot. Traditionally Haji Firuz would dance through the streets with a troop of musicians singing his own special song and playing a tambourine, people joining in and following along. This custom is becoming less common.
Children are often given small toys, and traditionally play with colourfully painted eggs. You can find out about the traditions of this happy celebration below as well as enjoy some of our Nowruz activities for kids!
PARTNERSHIPS
The International Day of Nowruz is co-organized with the UNESCO, the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the U.N., the Permanent Mission of India to the U.N., the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the U.N., the Permanent Mission of Tajikestan to the U.N., the Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan to the U.N., the Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the U.N., the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the U.N, the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the U.N.Permanent Mission of Kyrgyzstan to the U.N., and the Permanent Mission of Iran to the United Nations.
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The Persian New Year also is an important time for its many members and special donors to give as generously as possible to the non-profit organization.