Nowruz welcomes the arrival of spring, coinciding with the vernal equinox (when the sun moves across the Earth’s equator, evenly splitting daytime and nighttime hours). The celebration originated in ancient Persia, but it has also been observed by diverse communities in Central Asia, Western Asia, South Asia, the Caucasus, the Balkans and the Black Sea Basin for more than 3,000 years. In the U.S., museums and cultural centers host Nowruz festivities. This year, because of the pandemic, they will reach out through the internet.
