Parsi New Year 2025: Date, history, significance, celebrations and all you need to know
Derived from the Persian terms 'Nav' and 'Roz', which translate to 'new day', the tradition of celebrating the Parsi New Year is thought to have been followed by Iranians and Zoroastrians for the previous 3,000 years.
While the event takes place around the spring equinox on March 21 every year, the Parsi community in India follows the Shahenshahi calendar, which does not account for leap years; hence, the celebration is moved by 200 days from its original date.
This year, the Parsi New Year in India will be observed on Friday, August 15, 2025.
The festival dates back to the time when Prophet Zarathustra founded Zoroastrianism, one of the earliest monotheistic religions, which was embraced by Parsis, more than 3,500 years ago in ancient Iran.
It was the official religion of Persia (now Iran) from 650 BCE until the rise of Islam in the seventh century. When Islamic soldiers entered Iran, many Zoroastrians fled to India and Pakistan.
On the day of the Parsi New Year, people pray for good health and prosperity, spending the day cleaning and decorating their homes with flowers and rangolis.
They dress traditionally and go to the fire temple, also known as the 'Agiary', to offer milk, flowers, fruits, and sandalwood to the sacred fire.
The festivities focus on the 'Four Fs': fire, fragrance, food, and friendship, and entail partaking in wonderful Parsi cuisine, begging forgiveness for the previous year's transgressions, mental purification, and welcoming the new year with love and peace.
It is customary to arrange the festive table with auspicious artefacts such as a religious book, a mirror, incense sticks, fruits, flowers, coins, candles, a bowl with a goldfish, and an image of Zarathustra, which represent a hope for a year filled with positive energy.
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a day ago
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Parsi New Year 2025: Date, history, significance, celebrations and all you need to know
Parsi New Year 2025 Date and History: The Parsi New Year, also known as the Navroz or Nowruz festival, takes place between July and August in India. Derived from the Persian terms 'Nav' and 'Roz', which translate to 'new day', the tradition of celebrating the Parsi New Year is thought to have been followed by Iranians and Zoroastrians for the previous 3,000 years. While the event takes place around the spring equinox on March 21 every year, the Parsi community in India follows the Shahenshahi calendar, which does not account for leap years; hence, the celebration is moved by 200 days from its original date. This year, the Parsi New Year in India will be observed on Friday, August 15, 2025. The festival dates back to the time when Prophet Zarathustra founded Zoroastrianism, one of the earliest monotheistic religions, which was embraced by Parsis, more than 3,500 years ago in ancient Iran. It was the official religion of Persia (now Iran) from 650 BCE until the rise of Islam in the seventh century. When Islamic soldiers entered Iran, many Zoroastrians fled to India and Pakistan. On the day of the Parsi New Year, people pray for good health and prosperity, spending the day cleaning and decorating their homes with flowers and rangolis. They dress traditionally and go to the fire temple, also known as the 'Agiary', to offer milk, flowers, fruits, and sandalwood to the sacred fire. The festivities focus on the 'Four Fs': fire, fragrance, food, and friendship, and entail partaking in wonderful Parsi cuisine, begging forgiveness for the previous year's transgressions, mental purification, and welcoming the new year with love and peace. It is customary to arrange the festive table with auspicious artefacts such as a religious book, a mirror, incense sticks, fruits, flowers, coins, candles, a bowl with a goldfish, and an image of Zarathustra, which represent a hope for a year filled with positive energy.
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