Nowruz Dates Table
| Year | Nowruz (March equinox) | Sizdah Bedar (13th day) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fri, Mar 20 (equinox moment UTC) | Wed, Apr 1 |
| 2027 | Sat, Mar 20 (equinox moment UTC) | Thu, Apr 1 |
| 2028 | Mon, Mar 20 (equinox moment UTC) | Sat, Apr 1 |
| 2029 | Tue, Mar 20 (equinox moment UTC) | Sun, Apr 1 |
| 2030 | Wed, Mar 20 (equinox moment UTC) | Mon, Apr 1 |
| 2031 | Thu, Mar 20 (equinox moment UTC) | Tue, Apr 1 |
Nowruz - the new year of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, kept by some 300 million people - is the only major new year set by the sun rather than the moon or a decree: it begins at the moment of the March equinox, when day and night balance. That moment falls on March 20 every year this decade, and the countdown above is aimed at it like a telescope.
Bottom line: the year turns at the equinox instant, the haft-sin table is assembled before it, and the festival runs thirteen days to Sizdah Bedar - the thirteenth-day picnic when everyone goes outdoors and the sprouted wheatgrass from the haft-sin goes to running water. The table above gives both endpoints for every year through 2031.
The honest part: Nowruz is older than every calendar it lives inside - Zoroastrian in root, Sassanid in record, and it survived both Islamic arrival and the twentieth century intact enough that UNESCO lists it as intangible heritage and the UN General Assembly recognizes the day. A countdown trivializes it, but it is also the most searched question about it, so here is the countdown with the context attached.
How to use
- Watch the equinox moment: the countdown aims at March 20; Iranian households traditionally sit around the haft-sin table as the instant arrives.
- Assemble the haft-sin in the last week: seven items starting with the Persian letter sin - sabzeh (sprouts), samanu (sweet pudding), senjed (dried lotus), seer (garlic), seeb (apple), somaq (sumac), serkeh (vinegar) - plus mirror, goldfish, and painted eggs.
- Plan the thirteenth day: Sizdah Bedar is the universal outdoors day - pack the picnic, and retire the sabzeh to running water, which is how the year properly begins.
Frequently asked questions
When is Nowruz 2027?
The 2027 March equinox falls on Saturday, March 20, and Nowruz begins at that astronomical moment - the year's zero hour. The festival runs thirteen days, with Sizdah Bedar, the outdoor picnic day, closing it on Thursday, April 1, 2027. The table above lists every year through 2031.
Is Nowruz the same date every year?
Nearly: it is fixed to the March equinox, not to a calendar date, so it lands on March 20 almost every year in this era (occasionally March 21 in earlier time zones' local reckoning). Because the equinox is an instant rather than a day, Iran publishes the exact moment annually - the table above uses the UTC date, which holds as March 20 through 2031.
What are the seven items on the haft-sin table?
Seven things whose Persian names start with the letter sin: sabzeh (sprouted wheatgrass, for rebirth), samanu (wheat-paste pudding, for sweetness), senjed (dried lotus fruit, for love), seer (garlic, for medicine), seeb (apple, for beauty), somaq (sumac, for sunrise), and serkeh (vinegar, for patience). Around them go the non-S extras: a mirror, goldfish, painted eggs, hyacinths, and often a book of Hafez for the post-dinner fortune reading.
What is Sizdah Bedar?
The thirteenth day of Nowruz, and its official send-off: sizdah means thirteen, and the tradition is that the whole household goes outdoors for a picnic - staying inside on the unlucky thirteenth being the one superstition everyone keeps. The sabzeh sprouts from the haft-sin table are brought to running water and let go, carrying the year's bad luck with them, and young people tie knots in the grass wishing for partners.