The written history of Iran begins with the Achaemenid dynasty, both in the writings of ancient Greeks and in the inscriptions found on stone surfaces of mountains as in Bisotoon, and on tablets as found in Persepolis.

Early in the Achaemenid history Iranians used a calendar that the Aryans had probably brought with them to this land but at the time of Darius I this calendar was replaced with the Avestan calendar which, like the previous one, had twelve months but each month had thirty days only. Since a complete year has 365 days and some hours, the last five days of the Avestan year stand on their own as the “Panjeh” (from the word panj meaning five) each named after an angel that together represent the ancestors of Iranians.

At that time these five days were a part of the Farvardin or Norooz or Spring festivities preceding the hormozd, the first day of the year, and the day of the most important of Iranian festivities.

The Iranian year began and begins on the day when mother earth comes to life again. Winter goes and Spring arrives; nature is revitalized. The plains become green, the trees adorned with leaves and blossoms; butterflies
fly among beautiful flowers, birds sing…

In ancient times Norooz was celebrated throughout the Persian Empire which at times included the present
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrghyzstan, Azerbaijan Republic, Armenia, Turkey, Iraq, and even at one time Egypt.

Today it is still celebrated by all or part of each of these nations though before the collapse of USSR the inhabitants of the newly independent states were afraid of holding the Norooz ceremony because of the
Communist Party but they are now holding the Norooz again with great fervor.

In addition, Norooz is today celebrated in many other lands where sufficiently large Iranian minorities exist, notably USA (particularly in California), Britain, Germany, France and Sweden.

The Norooz celebration is held with special procedures following a very long tradition. Naturally these are very thoroughly observed by Zoroastrians but Moslems too do the same or almost the same, and Christian Iranians (mainly Armenians and Assyrians) and the Jewish community in Iran also celebrate Norooz to some extent.

Ancient Iranians believed that five days before the New Year the Benevolent Angles returned to their homes on earth and remained there till five days after the New Year, i.e. from 25th Esfand till 5th Farvardin (15th-25th
March, 14th-24th in leap years). During the last five days of Esfand, Iranians spend all their time cleaning and washing their homes, preparing for the new year. The house is thoroughly swept and dusted and washed as far as possible. All the carpets are washed and left to dry in the sun. All the furniture are thoroughly cleaned. New clothes are made for everyone. Those who cannot afford to do so, make new clothes at least for their young ones.

The still poorer bring out their best clothes and wash them thoroughly. Much work of charity is done prior to the new year in cash or kind (mainly clothes and sweets and nuts). There is so much buying and shopping at this time of the year that nowadays the smaller branches of the banks run out of cash. Before New Year’s Day sofrehe haft seen is set, usually on a large tray or on a sofreh, an enormous “napkin” on which food is served much as the tablecloth on the dining table in the West. (Many families in Iran still sit and eat cross-legged on the ground). Enormous quantities of sweets, fruits and dried fruits and nuts are placed in beautiful bowls or on large dishes, ready for the guests who are sure to come.

Every family goes to the graveyard to pray for their dead before the New Year; and they go to visit their living relatives, especially parents and grand parents if they live separately, after the New Year. The younger ones go to visit the elder first. Later, the elder “pay back” the visits.

According to myths Norooz was first celebrated by Jamshid, the Great King, who is supposed to have lived many centuries before Christ.

It is said that at the time of Jamshid, a long spell of icy weather overtook the land and lasted three years: freezing gale that tore at the peoples’ flesh, snow and ice beyond belief. When the cold subsided after
three years, spring finally arrived and the first day of spring was celebrated.

On the 13th day of the new year everyone goes out on picnic, to the countryside, to parks within the cities, to farmlands, any spot where there is greenery and hopefully a brook, a spring, or a river which would be the ultimate source of joy, to shed away the bad omen, the evil, of the figure 13. It is possible that the origin of the belief that 13 is a figure that brings bad luck, lies here in the Zoroastrian faith from which it has spread to other faiths and cultures.

On the haft seen there are sometimes three plates with wheat, bean or similar sprouts, representing: “Good Thoughts”, “Good Words” and “Good Deeds”. There is also a red goldfish in a bowl that represents Anahita the Water Angel, and fertility.

There are also coins as symbol of material prosperity; and the Holly book, Quran for Moslems and Avesta for Zoroastrians. On the eve of the last Wednesday of the year, Iranians go to the country and make big fires, the
fire being sacred to Zoroastrians, from whom this custom has passed on to the Moslem Iranians.

On the day or in the evening that the New Year arrives, f rom a short while before – a few minutes or even an hour before – the whole family gather round the haft seen, reading from prayer books and the Holy Quran.

The Iranian New Year coincides with 21st of March (20th March in leap years) and occurs at the moment certain stars and planets acquire certain positions. Therefore the exact hours varies form year to year, but the
hour is always the beginning of springtime, when the weather is mild over most of Iran, though it can be still cold in the highlands of the north of the country and quite warm on the coasts of the Persian Gulf.