Norooz, also known as the Iranian New Year, is the most important holiday in Iran. It falls on March 21 every year and marks the beginning of spring as well as the start of a new year in the Persian calendar. Norooz literally means "new day" and is a celebration of renewal and new beginnings.
Celebrations usually begin on the eve of Norooz, when families gather to share a traditional dinner and bid farewell to the old year. The celebrations continue until the 13th day of the new year, known as "Sizdah Bedar," when people go to the park to spend the day outdoors and enjoy nature.
Norooz is an important part of Persian culture and tradition. Preparations begin weeks in advance with cleaning and decorating the house and buying new clothes. Popular traditions during the celebrations include setting up a "Haft-Seen," a collection of seven items, each beginning with a letter of the Persian alphabet, symbolic of various values such as prosperity, health, wisdom and happiness.
Norooz is also an important holiday in other countries and communities influenced by Persian culture and history, such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and northern Iraq.
More recently, the Islamic Republic of Iran has recognized Norooz as the country's official holiday and promotes the celebration as a symbol of national unity and pride. It is a time when people from different social, religious and ethnic groups come together to celebrate their culture and traditions and to welcome a new beginning together.