Everything You Need to Know About Nowruz, the Persian New Year
What Is Nowruz? Nowruz, meaning “new day” in Persian, marks the Persian New Year and the arrival of spring. The festival dates back over 3,000 years and has roots in Zoroastrian traditions. It falls on the first day of the Persian calendar, usually around March 20 or the Spring Equinox.
The holiday represents renewal, fertility, and the triumph of light over darkness. Around 300 million people celebrate Nowruz in Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and various Kurdish, Uyghur, and Parsi communities worldwide.
How Is It Celebrated?
People observe Nowruz with family gatherings, street festivals, bonfires, fireworks, poetry, and folk music. In Afghanistan and Central Asia, traditional nomadic games remain popular. In Iran, khane tekani (spring cleaning) signals the start of the celebrations. Food plays a major role in every gathering.
Traditional Nowruz Table and Feast
A typical Nowruz celebration includes a haft-sin table. This display features seven symbolic ingredients that start with the letter S in Persian. Each represents a different value:
- Garlic (seer) – Health
- Vinegar (serkeh) – Patience
- Apple (sib) – Beauty
- Lentil sprouts (sabzeh) – Rebirth
- Sumac (somāq) – Sunrise
- Samanu (sweet wheat pudding) – Strength
- Coins (sekkeh) – Prosperity
In addition to the haft-sin, families prepare nuts, dried fruits, sweets, and painted eggs. The 13-day festival ends with a picnic on Sizdah Bedar, marking the transition into the new year.
Popular Nowruz Dishes
Different regions serve unique meals, but some dishes appear on most tables:
- Iran: Sabzi polo ba mahi (herb rice with fish), kookoo sabzi (herb frittata), and reshteh polo (noodle rice)
- Azerbaijan: Plov (rice with meat, vegetables, and spices), dolma (stuffed vine leaves), and baklava
- Afghanistan: Sabzi challow (spinach and lamb curry), haft mewa (dried fruit salad), and kolcheh nowrozi (rice flour cookies)
- Kazakhstan: Nauryz kozhe (barley soup with horse meat and milk)
- Uzbekistan: Sumalak (sweet pudding made from sprouted wheat)
Cookbooks for Nowruz Recipes
For Persian recipes, check Feasts by Sabrina Ghayour or The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan. For Central Asian and Azerbaijani dishes, try Samarkand by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford. Afghan cuisine enthusiasts should check Parwana by Durkhanai Ayubi.
Where to Celebrate This Event in Canada
Several restaurants and cultural centers in Canada host Nowruz celebrations. In Toronto, Banu, Takht-e Tavoos, and Gilaneh offer special menus. Vancouver’s Zeitoon, Cazba, and Yaas Grill House are great choices. Montreal’s Byblos Le Petit Café also features Persian-inspired dishes for Nowruz.
Additionally, cultural organizations like the Iranian-Canadian Congress and Tirgan Festival organize public celebrations across major cities.
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