Google is celebrating Nowruz 2025 with a special Doodle illustrated by guest artist Pendar Yousefi.
Nowruz, also known as Persian New Year, falls on March 20, 2025, at precisely 5:01 am EST (2:31 pm IST), coinciding with the spring equinox. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Persian calendar and has been observed for over 3,000 years.
Nowruz, meaning “new day” in Persian, has deep roots in Zoroastrianism and ancient Persian culture. The festival symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and the triumph of light over darkness. It is widely recognized as a time for new beginnings, family gatherings, and cultural festivities. In 2010, UNESCO added Nowruz to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the United Nations recognizes March 21 as International Nowruz Day.
Today, around 300 million people across Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, Turkey, and parts of South Asia commemorate the occasion.
Google in its description of the Doodle explained that central to Nowruz traditions is the haft-sin table, a beautiful display of seven symbolic items each beginning with the Persian letter sin. These include sprouts for rebirth, wheat pudding for strength, olives for love, berries for the sunrise, vinegar for patience, apples for beauty, and garlic for health.
Other activities during Nowruz include spring cleaning to prepare for a fresh start, decorating eggs, and even leaping over a bonfire which is believed to cleanse energy from last year and invite vitality in the future.
In the days leading up to Nowruz, families engage in Khaneh Tekani, or “house cleaning,” to cleanse their homes and spirits for the new year. On Chaharshanbe Suri, the last Wednesday before Nowruz, people jump over bonfires, chanting “Zardi-ye man az to, sorkhi-ye to az man” (“My paleness to you, your redness to me”), symbolizing the purification of the body and soul.
Nowruz celebrations span 13 days, culminating in Sizdah Bedar, when people spend the day outdoors in nature, enjoying picnics and releasing their Sabzeh into running water to carry away bad luck. Traditional dishes like Sabzi Polo Ba Mahi (herbed rice with fish) and Kuku Sabzi (herb frittata) are prepared for the holiday feast.