Nowruz

American  

[nou-rooz] / naʊˈruz /

noun

1. the Persian New Year's Day.

2. Zoroastrianism. the seventh feast of obligation, devoted to fire, the seventh creation.

---

Usage

What is Nowruz? Nowruz is a New Year celebration that coincides with the vernal equinox. Nowruz originated as a Zoroastrian observance, but it is celebrated as a holy day in multiple faiths, including by some Muslims. It is also commonly celebrated in secular ways. It is sometimes called Persian New Year or Iranian New Year. Nowruz is most closely associated with Persian and Iranian culture, but it is also observed in many other places in Central Asia, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria—and by members of these communities around the world. Like many New Year celebrations, Nowruz focuses on renewal. Many people prepare for Nowruz by cleaning their homes for spring. One of the traditional ways to observe Nowruz involves setting up a spread of items known as a sofreh or haft-seen, in which the items represent the hopes for the year ahead.

Example Sentences

At Nowruz, he and his wife "just looked really down and helpless", says Sina.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

"I thought Canada is safe," he said, next to sweets spread out on the boxing ring's mat, part of festivities marking the Persian New Year, called Nowruz.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

A grandmother living in a Tehran suburb, Zahra would normally be looking forward to a Nowruz family reunion.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

This year Nowruz should have been even more special, since it coincides with Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

That is how you wish a happy Nowruz to someone younger than you.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram