Spring has sprung and there are lots of holidays this month, but probably some you are not as familiar with.
For instance, Nowruz, the National New Year festivity celebrated mostly in Iran and throughout Central Asia. Nowruz marks a new beginning in the Iranian calendar. They use this celebration to symbolize rebirth, and make connections with nature and humans.

Nowruz starts at the time of the Spring Equinox, which is when the sun crosses the equator and results in equal length for day and night. This celebration lasts about two weeks, including four public holidays. For more than 3,000 years Nowruz has been celebrated in Iran and the Persian diaspora. In Zoroastrianism, a religion that practiced in the ancient Persia viewed the holiday as a victory over any darkness.

Nowruz was first celebrated at least 3,000 years ago, when the Persian Empire was beyond the borders of modern Iran. The celebrations have improved and expanded to be much more social, religious, and the cultural.

Nowruz is celebrated through cultural food or even through colorful outfits, street singers are one of them. They wear vibrant colors and play the tambourine all across the streets of Iran, but these celebrations have also been impacted by COVID-19. Many celebrations were cancelled last year and most will remain dark this year, too.

Locally, there are several more holidays to celebrate in spring, like World Water Day on March 22, celebrated every of every year since 1993, World Water Day helps raise awareness of access to healthy, safe water. Over 2.2 billion people are living a crisis due to them being deprived from that access.

To help those in this situation, we can take shorter showers, filter our showers, and donate to philanthropic organizations. Spreading awareness is the main key to helping, so posting on social media will help with the situation.

World Meteorological Day is right after World Water day, on March 23, and highlights the convention that created the World Meteorological Organization in 1950. This day is also focused on the contribution that National Meteorological and Hydrological Services make to the safety and well-being of society.

On March 28, we can look past the flowers and celebrate National Weed Appreciation Day. We can identify some weeds are beneficial to us, those used for food or with medicinal value, like herbs. National Weed Day is a good celebration since many weeds and plants grow during the spring. You can take this day to learn some of the benefits of the plants and weeds. It’s important to know the uses and share your knowledge with others.

End the month with National Take a Walk in the Park Day on March 30. This day encourages people to celebrate the outdoors and take a walk in their favorite park or down a new trail. Why not enjoy a nature walk to help soothe the mind, benefit your health, and enjoy some exercise.

Overall, these upcoming celebrations are good motivation to go outside and enjoy the newest season. Throughout the spring, we can gain new knowledge, celebration by celebration, and learn something new about people and nature.