1 Bahá · The Baháʼí New Year

Naw-Rúz, the new day.

Naw-Rúz is the first day of the Baháʼí year, timed to the spring equinox as observed in Tehran. It is one of the nine Holy Days on which work is suspended, and it arrives at sunset on the last day of the Fast — the turning point of the whole Baháʼí year.

Naw-Rúz dates, year by year

Baháʼí year

Naw-Rúz falls on

183 B.E.
March 21, 2026
184 B.E.
March 21, 2027
185 B.E.
March 20, 2028
186 B.E.
March 20, 2029
187 B.E.
March 20, 2030
188 B.E.
March 21, 2031
189 B.E.
March 20, 2032
190 B.E.
March 20, 2033
191 B.E.
March 20, 2034
192 B.E.
March 21, 2035

Dates follow the table of Badíʻ dates 172–221 B.E. prepared at the Baháʼí World Centre from Her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office data, with Ṭihrán as the reference point.

Why the date moves

Before 2015 the Baháʼí community outside the Middle East kept Naw-Rúz on a fixed March 21. Since then the calendar has been anchored to the astronomical equinox: if the equinox occurs before sunset in Tehran, Naw-Rúz is that day; if after, it is the next. Because the equinox drifts by several hours a year, the Gregorian date alternates between March 20 and March 21.

Naw-Rúz and Persian Nowruz

The name and the moment are shared: both mark the equinox, and “Naw-Rúz” simply means “new day” in Persian. Nowruz is an ancient cultural festival across Iran and Central Asia; Baháʼís keep the same day as a Holy Day, adding prayers and readings to the shared feasting and music.

How it is observed

Work and school are suspended. Communities meet for devotions and then for a meal — the first daytime meal after nineteen days of fasting. Practice varies widely by culture; there is no prescribed ritual beyond gathering and prayer.

Today’s Baháʼí date The Fast Holy Days

Frequently asked

About Naw-Rúz.

When is Naw-Ruz 2027?

Naw-Rúz falls on March 21, 2027, beginning at sunset on March 20 — the moment the Baháʼí Fast ends. It opens the Baháʼí year 184 B.E.

Why does the date of Naw-Ruz move?

Since 2015 the Baháʼí calendar has been anchored to the actual moment of the vernal (March) equinox as observed in Tehran, using astronomical data from Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office. If the equinox occurs before sunset in Tehran, Naw-Rúz is that day; otherwise it is the following day. That is why Naw-Rúz lands on March 20 in some years and March 21 in others.

Is Bahai Naw-Ruz the same as Persian Nowruz?

They share the same origin and the same moment — the spring equinox — and the name is the same word ('new day' in Persian). Persian Nowruz is an ancient cultural new year observed across Iran, Central Asia, and beyond. Baháʼís adopted the day as a Holy Day, giving it a devotional character: prayers, readings, and community gatherings alongside the shared festivity.

How do Bahais celebrate Naw-Ruz?

Work and school are suspended. Communities gather for prayers and readings from the Baháʼí writings, followed by music, food, and celebration. Because it follows nineteen days of fasting, the first meal of the new year carries particular joy. There is no single prescribed ritual — observance varies widely by culture.

What Bahai year does Naw-Ruz begin?

Baháʼí years are counted from 1844, the year of the Báb's declaration, and labelled B.E. (Baháʼí Era). Naw-Rúz 2026 begins 183 B.E.; Naw-Rúz 2027 begins 184 B.E.; Naw-Rúz 2028 begins 185 B.E.

Is Naw-Ruz a Bahai Holy Day?

Yes — it is one of the nine Holy Days on which Baháʼís suspend work and school attendance, and the only one that is also the first day of the calendar year.

See also: All eleven Baháʼí Holy Days

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