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.

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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

Towards the end of March, Iranians celebrated Nowruz, the Persian new year festival that marks the spring equinox and is often a time when families get together.

From BBC

"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

The island of Qeshm, where 42-year-old Sadeq is based, enjoyed a tourism boom in recent years, but saw few visitors over the usually busy Nowruz holidays marking the Iranian New Year in March.

From Barron's

Zahra is cleaning the windows of her flat for Nowruz, the 3,000-year-old festival marking the arrival of spring and with it the start of the Iranian New Year.

From BBC

Rather than stay home, he spent the first day of Nowruz, Friday, in the office in west Tehran with his shih tzu, Michelle.

From Los Angeles Times