Happy Persian new year, beginning of spring

Uncle Nowruz, the Persian Santa Claus

Just as Santa Claus arrives every Christmas in Western cultures, bringing the New Year’s spirit to children and adults with his gifts, in Iranian culture, Amo Nowruz (Amo in Persian means Uncle) is the gentle breeze that carries the scent of spring in the final days of the year. He is the blossom that suddenly appears on barren trees and the rain that washes away winter’s dust from the alleys.

Ancient Iranian tales describe Uncle Nowruz as an old man with a white beard, kind-hearted and in love—deeply in love with Nane Sarma (dubbed in English: Grandma of the cold weather).
She is the old woman in a white chador who wanders through the streets in the last days of Esfand (the last month of the Iranian calendar). She represents winter, a lady who was once powerful but whose grandeur has now faded.

Nane Sarma, despite her appearance, is kind. She brings snow to cleanse the earth and pours rain so the soil can be ready to embrace new seeds; she brings the cold, not out of anger but out of love. She must be present so that the land can welcome Amo Nowruz. But when the last night of Esfand arrives, she throws her white chador over her shoulders and vanishes into the shadows of the night. And this love is never fulfilled, for Nane Sarma departs just before Amo Nowruz arrives.

Amo Nowruz and Nane Sarma are more than just legendary figures in Persian culture. They are the eternal cycle of nature. They embody the ancient principle of life itself: one must leave for the other to arrive.

Haji Firouz, the Messenger of Joy

Haji Firouz with his red outfit, is not merely a storyteller of happiness; he is the inheritor of an ancient tradition. His roots lie deep in the history of Iran, where joy was not just a pastime but a philosophy and a message.

His blackened face, once considered a symbol of the return of the dead from the other world to life, still sets him apart today. He brings joy from another realm, from a place where winter has perished and spring is on its way. The sound of his music and singing is a wake-up call—for the earth, for the people, and for all those who await Nowruz, not just on the calendar but in their hearts.

The new year in Iran is the first day of Spring, called Nowruz Eid.

Nowruz holiday is 13 days. Originating more than 3,000 years ago, the 13-day festival symbolizes renewal and harmony with nature. typically between March 19 and 22.

Iranians have various traditions for the New Year, including “Khane Tekani” (cleaning the whole part of the house), Buying new clothes, visiting relatives, setting the “Haftsin Table”, and handing out gifts to kids, usually money, etc.