The Festival of Navroze, the New Year celebrated on 21^st March marks the change in season ushered by the Spring Equinox. Its origins lie in the seasonal festivals of Central Asia and it acquired a religious significance for the Zoroastrians, followers of Prophet Zarathushtra, who preached his philosophy in ancient Iran around 1600 BC. Navroze is the beginning of the New Year for the Parsis of India and is also celebrated as a Spring Festival by the Kashmiri Community of India.

Navroze is a part of the Zoroastrian respect for the environment. This festival of the agricultural season became dedicated to Ahura Mazda, Lord of Wisdom and the Amesha Spenta, or Holy Immortals as part of the Gahambar, celebrations of the seasons.

 Navroze or the New Year is the largest and most holy celebration, dedicated to Spring, Fire and Righteousness.

Navroze has links with the dawn of Zoroastrian history and the legend of King Jamshed of Iran. This is why among the Zoroastrians it is also called Jamshedi Navroze. Navroze is a joyful cultural festival and even where the Zoroastrian religion has faded out, the cultural traditions of celebrating this feast have remained.  Celebrated on 21^st March, the Spring Equinox, it is the time of cleansing the house and spiritually rejuvenating the self.

It is characterized by a sense of new life, the ploughing of the fields for spring planting, the wearing of new clothes and the sprouting of fresh greenery, which is placed on the specially decorated Navroze table. In honour of this feast, there are a series of customs marked by the number seven. This number represents the seven Amesha Spenta, the special Angels of Zoroastrianism and particular food items are prepared in homes to be set on this table.  Fire, represented by a lamp, a mirror, a prayer book, the pomegranate and seven items starting with the letter 'S' or 'SH' are to be found on this table in the Zoroastrian celebration in India. The most visual symbol of new life are the seeds, traditionally seeds of seven kinds each, or seeds of grain which are sown in little containers in order to sprout in time for the Navroze table. These green fresh seedlings symbolize the feast as a celebration of new life and remind humankind of the eternal life to come.

 The Zoroastrian community celebrates by attending religious services early in the day and then gathering in joyous community celebrations with a feast at which food is eaten communally and which has been blessed by the religious service. Rich and poor meet together and this is a time of goodwill when bonds of friendships are made or renewed. In India, this community celebration of the agricultural season has changed in a primarily urban environment to become mainly a social gathering. The Navroze table is still setup in Irani Zoroastrian homes and some Parsi homes but with westernization and globalization the tradition of the Navroze table, communal prayer and feasting is being lost. The Govt. of India, as a mark of the esteem in which the Parsis are held, has declared Navroze a holiday in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra where a concentration of the Parsis are to be found.

 It is necessary for youth to understand the significance of this ancient celebration and learn to participate both in the symbolism and the joyous celebrations.