7 Things You Need to Know Abouth Norooz

It’s Norooz, Iranians’ favorite time of year. Every year, families across Iran get ready to feast, join together and celebrate, often traveling hundreds of miles to see loved ones. They exchange gifts and prepare the haft sin, the traditional table setting. But it’s not just Iranians who mark the “new day” and the first day of the new season. People from all over the globe — Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kosovo and Tajikistan among them — hold their own unique festivities to say goodbye to the old and usher in the new.

You don’t need to be Iranian to celebrate the coming of spring and enjoy the festivities — it may be steeped in Persian myth and tradition, but it’s truly an inclusive holiday for all.