WANA (Mar 19) – As the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, approaches, the streets and markets of cities across Iran have taken on a different appearance, from vendors whose businesses become more bustling on the eve of the new year to people weaving through shops and street stalls in the lively rush of shopping.

 

The streets are filled with Nowruz requirements: samanu, sabzeh, small goldfish, and an array of colorful flowers that fill the air with their fragrance. All of these are signs of renewal, rebirth, and the beginning of a new season.

 

Amid this hustle and bustle, a familiar figure appears in the alleys and streets: Haji Firouz. Dressed in red with a tambourine in hand, his face blackened, and his voice echoing through the crowded markets, he heralds the arrival of Nowruz. With his music and songs, he brings warmth to the streets and puts smiles on the faces of passersby.

Goldfish are displayed at a flower market, ahead of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, in Tehran, Iran, March 17, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Haji Firouz, the Messenger of Joy

Haji Firouz is not merely a storyteller of happiness; he is the inheritor of an ancient tradition. His roots lie deep in the history of Iran, where joy was not just a pastime but a philosophy and a message.

 

His blackened face, once considered a symbol of the return of the dead from the other world to life, still sets him apart today. He brings joy from another realm, from a place where winter has perished and spring is on its way. The sound of his music and singing is a wake-up call—for the earth, for the people, and for all those who await Nowruz, not just on the calendar but in their hearts.

” Haji Firouz” wears a protective face mask as he dances at Tehran Grand Bazar ahead of the Iranian New Year Nowruz, March 20, in Tehran, Iran, March 10, 2021. Picture taken March 10, 2021. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Uncle Nowruz, the Iranian Santa Claus

But Nowruz does not come to life only with the voice of Haji Firouz. Just as Santa Claus arrives every Christmas in Western cultures, bringing the New Year’s spirit to children and adults with his gifts, in Iranian culture, Amo Nowruz (Amo in Persian means Uncle) is the gentle breeze that carries the scent of spring in the final days of the year. He is the blossom that suddenly appears on barren trees and the rain that washes away winter’s dust from the alleys.

 

Ancient Iranian tales describe Uncle Nowruz as an old man with a white beard, kind-hearted and in love—deeply in love with Nane Sarma (dubbed in English: Grandma of the cold weather).

 

She is the old woman in a white chador who wanders through the streets in the last days of Esfand (the last month of the Iranian calendar). She represents winter, a lady who was once powerful but whose grandeur has now faded.

 

Nane Sarma, despite her appearance, is kind. She brings snow to cleanse the earth and pours rain so the soil can be ready to embrace new seeds; she brings the cold, not out of anger but out of love. She must be present so that the land can welcome Amo Nowruz.

Iranian people walk at the Tajrish Bazaar, ahead of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, in Tehran, Iran March 15, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Iranian people walk at the Tajrish Bazaar, ahead of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, in Tehran, Iran March 15, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

But when the last night of Esfand arrives, she throws her white chador over her shoulders and vanishes into the shadows of the night. And this love is never fulfilled, for Nane Sarma departs just before Amo Nowruz arrives.

 

Amo Nowruz and Nane Sarma are more than just legendary figures in Iranian culture. They are the eternal cycle of nature. They embody the ancient principle of life itself: one must leave for the other to arrive.

 

Read More:

The new year in Iran is the first day of Spring, called Nowruz Eid. Nowruz holiday is 13 days. Originating more than 3,000 years ago, the 13-day festival symbolizes renewal and harmony with nature.

 

It begins at the exact moment of the Northern Hemisphere’s vernal equinox, typically between March 19 and 22.

 

Iranians have various traditions for the New Year, including “Khane Tekani” (cleaning the whole part of the house), Buying new clothes, visiting relatives, setting the “Haftsin Table”, and handing out gifts to kids, usually money, etc.

Nowruz elements (known as Haftsin) are displayed at the Tehran Bazaar, ahead of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, in Tehran, Iran March 16, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)