The recurrence of some natural events such as night and day and the seasons has always been an interesting subject to man since the beginning of time. People always needed to figure out the beginning and end of seasons and years to calculate the best times for planting and harvesting their agricultural crops. The first farming and agricultural calendars were made as a result of these rudimentary calculations.

 The design of these basic calendars was based on the length of seasons calculated according to lunar movements, as the changes in the position of the moon in the celestial sphere was easier to detect for people. However, the shortcomings of the lunar calendars gradually led to the design of calendars based on the movements of the sun, or the solar calendar as we know it. A look back in years shows that the solar calendar has had a long history in Iran. For a long time now, Iranians have divided the year to four seasons of three months each. As Abu Reyhan Birooni puts it in his book Aasaar-ol-Baaghiyeh, “Since the 7th century of the world history, the beginning of the Iranian year fell on the Day of Hormoz in the month of Farvardin when the sun is directly overhead at the equator, on the day of vernal equinox in the tropic of cancer.”

NowRuz celebration marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian year on the first day of the month of Farvardin (usually occurring on March 21st, give or take a day). The celebration, which has its roots in the ancient traditions and beliefs of the Iranians, is observed to pay respect to the beginning of a new year, moderation of the weather, and natural rebirth and fertility. The holiday is celebrated with delightful traditions and ceremonies honoring the beautiful customs of loving one another, being grateful to the one and only God, and praying. Many historical resources date NowRuz back to the time of the mythical Persian King Jamshid. However, other historical resources point out that Iranians have in fact celebrated NowRuz even before the reign of Jamshid.

Abu Reyhan Birooni also relates the NowRuz holidays to Jamshid, but then adds: “Jamshid celebrated that day, which was a new day, although NowRuz was a grand day even before.”