Millions of Persians and Iranians come together every year to celebrate Nowruz (pronounced "no-rooz") — on the first day of the spring, and this year it is observed March 21. Nowruz or Navroz is celebrated mostly in Middle Eastern, and Central and South Asian communities.
What is Nowruz?
Nowruz is a Persian word that means new (now) and day (ruz). It is called the Persian New Year. It marks the first day of spring and promotes peace and solidarity.
The festival is celebrated with the making of special New Year food, wearing new clothes and spending time with loved ones. The tradition of celebrating the first day of spring dates back around 3,500 years ago and is rooted in the rituals of the Zoroastrian religion.
In India, Zoroastrian Parsis celebrate the festival twice — first in March and then in July or August.
The New Year coincides with the spring equinox that falls on the afternoon of March 20. However, some reports suggest this year the festival will be celebrated March 21.
It was included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, and formally recognized as an international holiday the next year.
How is it celebrated?
In several countries, including Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Iraq, the festival is a public holiday. In Iran, schools and colleges get a 14-day-long vacation to mark the festival.
People clean their house, replace broken items, purchase new clothes and prepare meals. They also visit their relatives to exchange greetings and wish each other Happy Nowruz.
Nowruz Wishes and Messages
Dedicate this year to humanity and the betterment of the world. Wishing you and your family a very happy and prosperous Parsi new year 2018.
May your beautiful smile be the reason for others' happiness this year. Spread your joy and happiness to everyone around you. Be the reason for the smile of people around you. Happy Navroz wishes.
May everyday of the new year glow with new cheer and happiness for you and your family. Nowruz Moobarak!
Let's make our Nowruz celebration a happier one by spending it together. Wish you a more than ever Happy Nowruz!
Hope this Nowruz brings lots of LOVE and WARMTH for you and your loved ones...Do not hate anyone as we have got the LIFE to LOVE and NOT to HATE others. Happy Nowruz!
May the coming year take you on the path to glory where all your endeavors become glorious and your life becomes a success story. Happy Nowruz!
Wishing you a year that marks the beginning of remarkable era of success and happiness in your life. Happy Noruz 1392!
Another year is gone by and here is the beginning of a fresh year. Wishing you all the greetings of Parsi New Year
Nowruz Quotes and Sayings
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
Bill Vaughn
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy
Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.
Brooks Atkinson
Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'...
Alfred Tennyson
The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather that we should have a new soul.
G.K. Chesterton
!['Had denied Housefull franchise as they wanted me to wear a bikini': Tia Bajpai on turning down bold scripts [Exclusive]](https://data1.ibtimes.co.in/en/full/806605/had-denied-housefull-franchise-they-wanted-me-wear-bikini-tia-bajpai-turning-down-bold.png?w=220&h=138)
