Nowruz Celebration

Nowruz is a festival celebrated around the spring equinox, typically on or around March 21 in the Gregorian calendar, marking the start of the new year in the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar. Originating from Zoroastrianism, Nowruz is deeply embedded in Iranian culture but has been observed by a variety of communities across Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia for more than 3,000 years.

The Iranian calendar begins on the March equinox, which usually falls on 21st March, and in the 11th century AD it was adjusted to align the calendar year, starting with Nowruz, to the vernal equinox. Nowruz signifies the start of Farvardin, the initial month of the Iranian solar calendar, and is recognized internationally by the UN since 2010.

The term Nowruz comes from the combination of Persian words meaning "new day," with different pronunciations used in various Persian dialects. English spellings vary.

Nowruz occurs on the day of the new year in Iran's Solar Hijri calendar, determined by astronomical observations and a sophisticated intercalation system for accuracy. This calendar incorporates a 2820-year cycle, consisting of 2137 normal years and 683 leap years, with an average year length of 365.24219852 days. This slight deviation causes the calendar to drift half a day over each cycle, differing from both Newcomb's tropical year value and the current average vernal equinox year. Despite its theoretical existence, this 2820-year cycle has never been implemented in practice.

In Azerbaijan, the preparation for Novruz typically starts a month in advance, with a festival held every Tuesday in the four weeks leading up to the holiday. Each Tuesday is dedicated to one of the four elements - water, fire, earth, and wind. On the eve of the holiday, people visit and care for the graves of their relatives and enjoy trail mix and berries. Children in Azerbaijan also participate in a tradition where they visit neighbors on the last Tuesday before Novruz, leaving their caps or baskets at the door and waiting nearby for treats like candies, pastries, and nuts.