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UN names March 21st, International Day of Nowruz

The United nations General Assembly has recognized March 21st as the International Day of Nowruz, or the Persian New Year.

The Assembly discussed the issue during its sixty-fourth session on Feb 23, and decided to name the first day of the Persian New Year as the International Day of Nowruz.

The Assembly called on its Nowruz-celebrating member states to study the ancient festival’s “history and traditions with a view to disseminating that knowledge among the international community and organizing annual commemoration events.”

Over 300 million people celebrate Nowruz around the globe, including the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Nowruz was registered on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on September 30, 2009.

The Persian New Year coincides with the first day of spring on the solar calendar.

For Iranians, Nowruz is a celebration of renewal and change, a time to visit relatives and friends, and pay respect to senior family members.

Iranians welcome the New Year by wearing new clothes and setting the Haft Seen, a table containing seven items starting with the letter ‘S’ — Sabzeh (freshly grown greens), Samanou (A type of traditional pudding), Senjed (Jujube), Seeb (Apple), Seer (Garlic), Sumac and Serkeh (vinegar).

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