Wednesday, January 18, 2017

XX-Qeshm island - Nowruz at the Homestay

Nowruz (Persian: نوروز‎ Nowruz, [nouˈɾuːz]; literally "new day") is the name of the Iranian New Year which is celebrated worldwide by various ethno-linguistic groups as the beginning of the New Year.

Although having Iranian and religious Zoroastrian origins, Nowruz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, and the Balkans. Families gather together to observe the rituals.

Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox, and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It usually occurs on March 21 or the previous or following day, depending on where it is observed. The moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year.