Lessons from the 3,500-year-old Nowruz festival for the year 2024

[{"selector":"#anim-6b3505c6-4e1a-464a-ab8e-f12a5af3faed [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.138671700831175%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Millions of Persian-descended people worldwide are celebrating Nowruz, the 13-day spring holiday.

[{"selector":"#anim-efecbd92-9bcf-4bdd-a4c9-415b347fab81 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-39.3212889263342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Persia, now Iran, formerly spanned Afghanistan and Pakistan to Egypt and the Balkan Peninsula, leaving behind a rich cultural legacy that includes this spectacular celebration.

[{"selector":"#anim-6a60646e-694b-4e99-858e-4a80a70dab53 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Nowruz is 3,500 years old, but celebrants feel its lessons—from taking a yearly reset to respecting family to connecting with nature in a hazardous time—are more relevant than ever.

[{"selector":"#anim-18971f68-daf4-438a-a186-7680b9bf2d76 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.36538448410661%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The prophet Zoroaster founded the monotheistic religion Zoroastrianism in 500 BCE, which celebrated Nowruz.

[{"selector":"#anim-e597038c-029e-42b2-a397-d91146426d32 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.90624987200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The rulers of all subject countries were invited at Nowruz during the Persian Empire (559-331 BCE) to deliver gifts and pay tribute to the king at Persepolis, whose remnants remain in Shiraz.

This allowed the monarchs to show their forefathers that they were prospering, a key festive tradition.

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Taylor Swift always wins at concerts, which are gigantic charades games.

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[{"selector":"#anim-9a89f7b3-c58f-4bf0-b25f-1de11fd7e529 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] However, Nowruz became a secular holiday observed by Christians, Jews, and Muslims even under Islamic authority.