Nowruz (Persian: New Day) is the Persian New Year and Spring Day. It begins on March 21 or 20, the spring equinox and lasts 13 days during which Iranians go on national holiday. On the 13th day of the holiday everyone goes out to celebrate and have picnics, this day is called ‘Sizdah bedarer’ and it concludes the holiday.
The holiday Nowruz is an ancient holiday that is over 3,000 years old. It belongs to the Zoroastrian religion, the ancient Persian religion that existed before Islam. The calendar of the Zoroastrians is according to the sun and therefore it is customary to celebrate the beginning of the year on the day of equality that heralds the beginning of spring.
