The Persian New Year, celebrated at the spring equinox across thirteen nations and countless diaspora communities, Nowruz marks renewal through fire rituals, water ceremonies, gift-giving, and poetry that have endured for over three millennia.
In UNESCO’s words
Nauryz is a traditional folk spring festival based on the worship of nature, the sun and the universe. Observed in several countries in Asia and the Middle East, it is associated with a love of nature and all living things, a respect for human beings, and the spread of good. In Mongolia, it is one of the most important holidays of the year. Mongolia is home to over 130,000 Kazakh people who form 4% of the national population. On 22 March, the Kazakh people of Mongolia rise early to greet the sunrise of the new year. They light two candles to symbolize happiness and abundance in the new year, fill containers with yogurt, milk or spring water, and cook and eat koje, a traditional Nauryz soup. For the practitioners, Nauryz is a time for settling debts and disputes. The celebrations – which include games, sports competitions, folk music and song and dance performances – promote respect, unity and solidarity, as everybody can participate freely. Nauryz traditions are transmitted from older to younger generations informally, through observation and participation. As a shared living heritage in Asia and the Middle East, the Nauryz festival encourages mutual understanding and friendship between different ethnic communities and can play a determining role in bringing together people of different cultures, countries and nations.
Official description, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List — Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz
At a glance
Nauryz is a traditional spring festival rooted in the worship of nature, the sun, and the universe. Observed across several countries in Asia and the Middle East, it celebrates a love of nature and all living things, respect for human beings, and the spread of good. In Mongolia, where over 130,000 Kazakh people live, Nauryz ranks among the most important holidays of the year.
Origins & history
The roots of Nowruz reach back over three thousand years to Zoroastrianism, one of humanity’s oldest religions, which honored the cosmic renewal at the vernal equinox. From its ancient heartland in Iran, the festival spread across the empires and trade routes of West Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and South Asia, becoming woven into the cultures of diverse peoples: Persians, Turks, Afghans, Tajiks, Kurds, Arabs, and many others. Each community has adapted the essential ritual of renewal to its own traditions.
The practice
On 22 March, participants rise early to greet the sunrise of the new year. They light two candles to symbolize happiness and abundance, fill containers with yogurt, milk, or spring water, and prepare koje, a traditional Nauryz soup. Celebrations include games, sports competitions, folk music, and song and dance performances that allow everybody to participate freely. Traditions pass from older to younger generations through observation and participation.
Cultural significance
For practitioners, Nauryz marks a time for settling debts and disputes. The festival promotes respect, unity, and solidarity within communities. As a shared living heritage across Asia and the Middle East, Nauryz encourages mutual understanding and friendship between different ethnic communities, bringing together people of different cultures, countries, and nations.
Key facts
- Country: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Mongolia
- Inscribed: 2024
- UNESCO list: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
- UNESCO reference: 02097
- UNESCO vocabulary: Festivals; New year; Prosperity ritual
- Map: not shown — UNESCO’s official description of this element names no locality, and a living tradition is practised across a community, not at one address.
Where to experience it
Nauryz is celebrated across several countries in Asia and the Middle East, with particularly strong observance among the Kazakh people of Mongolia, who gather on 22 March to greet the sunrise and perform traditional rituals including lighting candles and preparing koje soup. The festival brings together diverse ethnic communities in shared celebrations of games, sports competitions, folk music, and dance performances. Visitors can witness these festivities in communities where Nauryz is practised, experiencing firsthand how the tradition fosters unity and mutual understanding across different cultures and nations.
Sources & resources
- UNESCO — official element page: Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz
- UNESCO — open data record: Intangible Heritage List, reference 02097
- UNESCO — official video: UNESCO film on this element — embedded on this page
- UNESCO — official photograph: Every familiy sets the Nauryz table which is filled with all kinds of drinks and dishes — L. Zolbayar, Mongolia, 2022
- Reference — Wikipedia (secondary): Nowruz — consulted as a secondary reference, not as confirmation
- Cultural Heritage Online: Our archive and city guides
