Thousands of years ago, the Persian empire was ruled by a wise, kind, and generous king named Jamshid. Every winter, his subjects were met with shorter days and harsher weather. So when spring would arrive, all of the Persian empire would rejoice and celebrate the warmth and prosperity of the season. Seeing how happy the arrival of spring made his subjects, Jamshid decided to create an official holiday to celebrate it. This holiday became known as Norouz, which translates into “new day”.

Norouz is a holiday celebrated by the people of Iran and its neighboring countries. Founded over 3000 years ago, it was created to celebrate the new year according to the sun calendar and to welcome the springtime. Because of this, Norouz always begins on the first day of spring, or more accurately, the beginning of the spring equinox. This year, the holiday started on March 19th. After the first day of the Iranian new year, there is a twelve day celebration. During this time, people first visit the elders of their family, then the rest of the family, and finally their friends. They conclude their 12 day celebration by going outside and having a picnic on the 13th day with family and friends.

There are many traditions followed to prepare for the new year. For example, people clean out their houses, and buy new clothes. One of the biggest traditions of Norouz is setting up a Haft Sin. This consists of seven items, all beginning with the letter “S” in Farsi. These items are set on a table, and each item symbolizes something different that people wish to have for the new year. However, different families celebrate in different ways. “My family always gathers around the table, and waits for the countdown,” says eighth grader Arsham Mohajeri-Dassi. “Afterwards, we always go visit family and friends.”                                                          

Another tradition for this time of the year occurs on the last Tuesday before Norouz. To get rid of the anger and negativity left over from the old year, people jump over a fire. The light of the flame is said to guide them into a bright and happy future, and symbolizes good triumphing over evil. This is known as Chaharshanbe Suri.

Norouz is an ancient holiday celebrated by Persians all across the world. While it may not be as well known as some other holidays, it has a very rich history and traditions–traditions that are still in place today. It’s a history that every Persian is a part of.