What Navroz is and how it's celebrated will make you wish you were Persian or Iranian
The Persian and Iranian New Year is celebrated today by millions worldwide
Navroz, or Nowruz, is the Persian and Iranian New Year that marks the first day of spring. Even though this day has Iranian and Zoroastrian origins, it is actually celebrated by many different faiths and ethnicities on March 21 across the globe.
This is a day that's full of friends, food, family, food, festivities, and food. It is celebrated mostly in Western and Central Asia, the Balkans, and the Middle East, and there are aspects that are a little similar to how Chinese New Year is celebrated. For example, Navroz is also when homes are cleaned, and all broken items are repaired or replaced to prepare for a brand new start. People wear new clothes, so much food that's specific to this time of year is prepared for the day, and much of the day is spent by visiting loved ones, and wishing each other a prosperous year ahead.
Hong Kong has a small Zoroastrian community that will be ringing in the New Year together, and this is how the day usually unfolds:
You wake up to a barrage of text messages wishing you a “Navroz Mubarak” ("Happy New Year")
And then you have to reply to each individual one
But soon, anxiety sets in when you realise there's way too many to deal with
You start to get really excited when it’s time to get ready, because, let’s face it, you have been waiting to whip out your sari all month
But wearing one is a challenge you weren’t mentally prepared for
Walking in a sari is also harder than you remembered