Nowruz, which means ‘new day’ in Farsi, marks the first day of the Persian calendar and falls at the same time as the spring equinox (usually on 20 or 21 March). Although it’s a secular holiday, it’s widely believed to be rooted in Zoroastrianism — one of the world’s oldest monotheist religions, dating back 3,000 years and preceding both Christianity and Islam. The Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century led to Zoroastrianism being slowly eradicated, but its fundamentals — including a deep reverence for the four elements of nature — stayed put and birthed this public holiday still celebrated by millions across the Muslim-majority region.
