Nowruz

Nowruz marks the spring equinox and the start of the new year across Iran and many diaspora communities, with the center of gravity split between homes, family visits, and busy public spaces. The most meaningful scenes are the haft-sin table at home, the exact equinox gathering, and the surge of movement through bazaars, flower markets, public squares and city centers, and later parks as holiday visits and outings spread across the day and the days that follow.

In the lead-up days, bazaars and flower sellers fill with last-minute shopping, sweets, and table preparations; on March 20, attention narrows to the equinox new year moment, when many families gather at home around the haft-sin table rather than in one public ceremony. By afternoon and evening, eid didani family visits begin to ripple across the city, with short urban trips, meals, greetings, and gift exchanges, while parks and promenades grow busier during holiday leisure hours. In the following days, transport stays crowded, some business hours shift, and in diaspora communities the rhythm may move between family homes, community halls, and cultural centers rather than a single citywide focal point.

What makes Nowruz special is the depth of meaning behind the public celebration. The event carries more than spectacle.

Nowruz meals and table items are tied directly to the holiday cycle, so food is part of the observance rather than a side activity. Around the new year, look for dishes and sweets that appear on family tables, in confectionery shops, and in market shopping before the equinox, especially foods linked to visits, gifting, and the first shared meals of the year. Must Try:

• sabzi polo ba mahi
• reshteh polo
• kuku sabzi
• samanu
• shirini