50 Fun Facts About Nowruz

What does the Persian word Nowruz literally mean?

It combines now, meaning new, and ruz, meaning day, and was pronounced Nawrōz in Classical Persian.

Nowruz is New Year's Day on which system of reckoning the year?

It is the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Solar Hijri calendar used officially in Iran.

Which astronomical event fixes the date of Nowruz?

That is why it usually falls somewhere between 19 and 22 March on the Gregorian calendar.

In which ancient religion do the roots of Nowruz lie?

It has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years and remains a holy day for Zoroastrians, Baháʼís and Ismaili Shia Muslims.

For roughly how long has Nowruz been celebrated?

Most celebrants now treat it as a secular holiday.

Which poet-mathematician reformed the Persian year to fix Nowruz at the vernal equinox?

The astronomer Tusi later defined it as the day the sun entered Aries before noon.

What is the name of the first month of the Solar Hijri calendar, which begins on Nowruz?

Esfand is the last month, and Mehr gives its name to the autumn festival Mehregan.

If the exact equinox occurs after noon Tehran time, when is Nowruz?

The rule keeps the algorithmic Solar Hijri calendar more accurate than the Gregorian one.

In which year did the UN General Assembly recognise the International Day of Nowruz?

Resolution 64/253 passed in February, and UNESCO added Nowruz to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list the same year.

According to the Shahnameh, which mythical king founded Nowruz by saving mankind from a killer winter?

He built a gem-studded throne, and the world's creatures scattered jewels around him and proclaimed the New Day.

Which Greek writer left a detailed account of a Nowruz celebration at Persepolis?

Kings of the Achaemenid nations brought gifts to the King of Kings, and Cambyses II's rule over Babylon was legitimised only after he took part.

Which parts of Persepolis are thought to have been built specifically for a feast related to Nowruz?

Reliefs there show delegations from across the empire bringing tribute.

Before the Sasanians, in which season did the Parthians celebrate Nowruz?

Under the Parthians the first of Farvardin fell at the autumn equinox and the spring festival was Mehregan.

How many days do the Nowruz holidays last in Iran?

They end with Sizdah Bedar, when everyone heads outdoors to picnic.

What is the name of the outdoor picnic festival on the thirteenth day of the Iranian new year?

It is also called Nature Day, and playing pranks on it resembles April Fools' Day.

What is traditionally done with the sprouted greens from the Haft-sin table on the thirteenth day?

Sizdah Bedar means "thirteen outdoors", and some Iranians consider the number ominous.

What is the festival held on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz called?

The name means Festive Wednesday, and it is marked with bonfires, firecrackers and fireworks.

What is the central ritual of the Festive Wednesday celebrated before Nowruz?

Jumpers ask the fire to take their yellow sickness and give its red strength in return.

What do disguised Iranians do on Festive Wednesday eve in a custom compared to trick-or-treating?

They receive packaged snacks; Azerbaijani children leave caps on doorsteps and hide, waiting for sweets.

In Azerbaijan, on which weekday are the four pre-Novruz element festivals held?

Each of the four weeks honours one element: water, fire, earth and wind.

What is the Haft-sin?

The seven relate to the Ameshasepantas of the Zend-Avesta and to the four elements plus humans, animals and plants.

What is sabzeh on the Haft-sin table?

It stands for rebirth and is thrown into running water at the end of the holidays.

What is samanu, one of the seven Haft-sin items?

Women in Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia cook it in groups, often through the night, singing as they stir.

Which of these is one of the seven traditional Haft-sin items?

Sir, meaning garlic, sits alongside sib (apple), serke (vinegar), senjed (Persian olive), somāq (sumac), sabze and samanu.

Which fruit is the Haft-sin item called sib?

Senjed, the Persian olive, is another of the seven.

Which live creature is often kept in a bowl on the Haft-sin table?

Mirrors, candles, painted eggs, coins and hyacinths are other common additions.

Which flowers are especially popular purchases before Nowruz?

Preparations also include a thorough spring cleaning of the home and buying new clothes.

What is the Afghan Nowruz dish Haft Mēwa?

Raisins, pistachios, hazelnuts, prunes, walnuts, almonds and silver berry are typical.

What is Azerbaijan's Nowruz display of sprouting wheat ringed with dyed eggs on a tray called?

There is one dyed egg for each member of the family.

Which herald of the festival brings children gifts, much like Santa Claus?

Legend says his wife Nane Sarma, Grandma Frost, can meet him only on this one night each year.

How is Haji Firuz, the companion of Amu Nowruz, traditionally dressed?

He dances through the streets singing and playing a tambourine.

What is the name of Amu Nowruz's wife, who can see him only once a year?

Her name means Grandma Frost, and their story symbolises the passing of the old year.

Which meal is traditionally eaten on Nowruz night in Iran?

Sweets such as nan-e nokhodchi, chickpea cookies, are served too.

During Nowruz visits, who is expected to make the initial call on whom?

The elders return the visit later, and guests are offered tea, pastries, fruit and nuts.

Before the Soviet Union collapsed, which two countries officially observed Nowruz?

All five Central Asian republics and the Caucasus states made it a public holiday after independence.

Which regime banned Nowruz between 1996 and 2001 as "an ancient pagan holiday centered on fire worship"?

Afghanistan otherwise marks the day with the Gul-i-Surkh tulip festival in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Which Afghan city hosts the Gul-i-Surkh ('red flower') festival in the year's first 40 days?

Red tulips cover the surrounding plains, and buzkashi tournaments are held; up to 200,000 people gather at the Blue Mosque.

Which sport's tournaments are held during Afghanistan's Nowruz festival?

The horseback game is played in Mazar-i-Sharif, Kabul and other northern cities.

For which people is Newroz considered a potent symbol of national identity?

In Turkey they celebrate between 18 and 21 March, waving flags of green, yellow and red.

In Albania, the 22 March festival of Sultan Nevruz also commemorates whose birthday?

It is prominent among the country's Bektashis but shared by Sunnis, Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

What is nauryz kozhe, cooked at the start of the new year in Kazakhstan?

All five Central Asian countries celebrate Nowruz as a public holiday.

Which Iranian festival honouring Mithra was the counterpart to Nowruz at the other equinox?

It falls at the autumnal equinox; under the Parthians the two swapped seasons, and it was later observed only by Zoroastrians.

What is the Persian name for the pre-Nowruz spring cleaning, literally 'shaking the house'?

Families also buy new clothes for the New Year and fill the house with fresh flowers.

Under which empire's founder, Ardashir I, do extensive records of Nowruz celebrations begin?

Royal audiences, cash gifts and the pardoning of prisoners all date from this era and persisted into modern times.

Which mid-winter festival, like Nowruz, survived the Muslim conquest of Persia?

Other festivals such as the Gahambars were sidelined or kept only by Zoroastrians, while Nowruz became the main royal holiday of the Abbasids.

In which year was Nowruz added to UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?

The UN General Assembly recognised an International Day of Nowruz the same year.

Whose poems are written on paper and dropped into a 'boloni' jug for Nowruz fortune-telling?

A young girl reads the poems aloud and then draws out a belonging, matching each verse to its owner's fortune.

In Azerbaijan's Nowruz street theatre, what does the bald character Kechal symbolise?

His rival Kosa, a fake-bearded man who cannot grow facial hair, stands for winter; their fights mark the arrival of spring.

For how many days did the Mughal Empire celebrate Nowruz in northern India?

The festival's roots in India go back further, to Parsi Zoroastrians who fled Persia during the Muslim conquest.

Naw-Rúz is the first day of the calendar of which religion, which has 19 months of 19 days?

It is one of nine holy days in that faith, and each month and day is named after an attribute of God.