Nowruz

When: Around the spring equinox, usually ~21 March, with related events the week before and the 13 days after.

Where: Celebrated nationwide across Iran in homes, bazaars, parks and public squares.

Cost: Free to attend public festivities, though travel and accommodation prices rise and some private meals or tours cost extra.

Don’t miss: The haft-seen table, the Chaharshanbe Suri fire-jumping night and the Sizdah Bedar countryside picnic on the 13th day.

Nowruz is an ancient, millennia-old New Year rooted in pre-Islamic Zoroastrian traditions and celebrated across communities in Iran and Central Asia. It celebrates natures renewal at the astronomical equinox and is both a household ritual and a public festival.

In practice Nowruz means deep spring-cleaning, new clothes, market shopping, family visits and setting the haft-seen - a table with seven symbolic items. The atmosphere ranges from intimate family meals to busy bazaars and parks where people exchange gifts, eat seasonal foods and prepare for outdoor gatherings like Sizdah Bedar.

The moment of Nowruz is the astronomical spring equinox, usually on or around 21 March; the exact calendar moment determines the New Year day. The social rhythm starts with build-up events in the days before the equinox (including the fire-jumping Chaharshanbe Suri on the last Tuesday night) and traditionally continues for 13 days, ending with Sizdah Bedar when families head outdoors for picnics.

Expect the busiest days to be the equinox itself and the weekends around it, with many businesses and official services closed or reduced during the official holiday period.

Most international travellers arrive via Tehran at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA); domestic carriers and trains link major cities to festival hotspots. From Tehran city centre take a taxi or airport shuttle; if you want to see regional traditions, book onward trains or domestic flights early and allow a few days in the city to catch pre-Nowruz events.

• In Iran public life follows national rules: women must wear a headscarf and modest clothing in public, and both visitors and hosts observe conservative dress in many settings.

• Be cautious at Chaharshanbe Suri fire events: keep distance from bonfires, supervise children and avoid participation in risky stunts.

• Pack layers for variable spring weather, and bring a picnic blanket or mat for Sizdah Bedar trips to parks or countryside.

• Book flights, trains and hotels several weeks to months in advance; intercity transport fills and many businesses close during the holiday.

• Accepting a home invitation is a good way to experience Nowruz traditions; its polite to bring a small gift or sweets and to remove shoes when entering.

• Carry some cash and be prepared for altered opening hours: bazaars and markets are lively but official services like banks may be shut during key holiday days.