Understanding the Persian New Year: Countries which celebrate Nowruz
How Nowruz is an international festival
It is a common misconception that Nowruz is an Iranian-only event. This notion is not entirely accurate, with several countries in Europe and Asia celebrating the coming of Spring as part of remnants of much older culture which spanned the length of the Persian Empire of yesteryear.
It’s true that many people associate the Nowruz festival with Iran, and publicly before the fall of the Soviet Union, the Islamic Republic was the only government to officially celebrate the day. However, since several Central Asian and Caucuses countries regained their independence from Russia, they implemented the holiday at the start of Spring, helping give greater recognition of the ancient holiday.
The UN’s General Assembly recognised the International Day of Nowruz in 2010, describing it as a spring festival of Iranian origin, which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.
Here is the list of countries in Europe and Asia which officially celebrate Nowruz.
- Afghanistan: March 21
- Albania: March 22
- Azerbaijan: March 20
- Georgia March 21
- Iran March 21
- Iraq (Kurdistan) March 21
- Kazakhstan March 21
- Kosovo: March 21
- Kyrgyzstan: March 21
- Mongolia (Bayan Olgii region)
- Tajikistan: March 20
- Turkmenistan: March 21
- Uzbekistan: March 21
Meanwhile, several other regions and countries across the world also celebrate the coming of spring, including, people in western China, southern Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, and many areas of south Russia.
What to know how to make a Haft Sin to celebrate Nowruz, now you can!