The truth most likely lies somewhere in between the story and the fact that Norooz is the beginning of spring. It could be that Norooz was already a holiday for the Aryans, but when it coincided with an important event in the region of Jamsheed, it was chosen to be the "special" holiday. For Iranians living abroad, Norooz provides us with nostalgia and a reminder of home, at least once a year.

Norooz is the point when the oppressive presence of the cold winter finally begins to retrieve with the commencement of the lively and hopeful spring. This symbolic and poetic change corresponds to the mathematical instance of the sun leaving the zodiac of Pisces and entering the zodiacal sign of Aries, also known as the Spring Equinox.

Norooz represents much of what Iranian/Persian culture, history and politics are all about. For centuries, Persians have invoked the Norooz spirit against every dark challenge that has come their way. This spirit has made Norooz far more than just a New Year celebration.

The first calendar was located in inscriptions at Persepolis, an ancient Persian city located near the present city of Shiraz that was the symbolic capital of the Achaemenids. It consisted of 12 months, likely beginning sometime in the fall. This calendar was a solar calendar and included leap years.

The second calendar was the Avesta calendar, which provides the basis for the current Iranian calendar. The year in the Avestaian calendar was comprised of 365 days which made up twelve 30-day months. The five remaining days were called "Panjeh." In ancient Persia, the time of the king's coronation was considered the beginning of this calendar and the years were named after the kings. For example, there was "the fifth month of Ardeshir's seventh year of rule." In 247 BC, beginning with the Parthian era, the origin of the calendar was changed. Yazdgerd III, the last Sassanid king, was enthroned on June 16 in the year 632 AD, 623 AD was subsequently chosen as a new beginning for the Iranian calendar. Since no king ascended the throne after him, that calendar remained in use as the Yazdgerdi calendar.

According to Zoroastrian belief, the month of Farvardin (the first month of the Iranian solar year) refers to the Faravashis (spirits) which return to the material world during the last 10 days of the year. Zoroastrians honor the 10-day period in order to make the spirits of their deceased ancestors happy. The tradition by some of going to cemeteries before Norooz also might have its origin in this belief. Others who narrate different origin tales say that on the first day of this month, Kia Khosrow, son of Parviz Bardina, ascended the throne and made Iran flourish. Another version is that on this first day, Jamshid, the Pishdadi king, sat on a golden throne while people carried him on their shoulders. They saw the sun's rays on the king and celebrated the day forever thereafter. Yet another story mentions King Solomon who lost his ring and, as a result, lost his reign. After searching for it for 40 days, he found his ring and recovered his sovereignty. Hence, the people cried, "Norooz (the new day) has come."

In ancient times, the Norooz festival started on the first day of Farvardin (January 21) but it is not certain how long that lasted. In some royal courts the festivities continued for one month. According to some documents, the Norooz festival was held until the fifth day of Farvardin, and the Norooz special festival continued until the end of the month. It has been suggested by some that during the first five days of Farvardin, the Norooz festival was a public event, while during the rest of the month it assumed a private and regal role, when the kings received the common people at the royal court.
While the Norooz celebration is an ancient Iranian custom, the details of Norooz celebrations before the Achaemenian era are not well known. For instance, it is not known exactly how the Norooz festival was viewed in terms of religious beliefs by ancient Persians.

Nonetheless, there exist some references to Norooz festival in a few books written during the Sassanid era. According to some Babylonian works, Achaemenian kings sat in the veranda of their palace during Norooz celebrations receiving representatives of different states who offered their precious gifts to the kings. It is said that Darius the Great, an Achaemenian king (421-486 BC), visited the temple of Ba'al Mardook, the great deity in ancient Babylon, at the outset of every New Year.

The Parthians and Sassanids also celebrated Norooz every year by holding special rituals and ceremonies. On the morning of Norooz, the king wore his adorned garments and entered the court alone. Then, someone famous for his lucky steps arrived in the court. Next, the supreme Moobed (Zoroastrian priest), holding a golden cup, ring, coins, sword, bow, arrow, ink, quill, and flowers, arrived at court, reciting a special prayer. High-ranking government officials arrived after the supreme Moobed, presenting their gifts to the king. The king sent the precious gifts to the treasury and distributed other gifts among the audience. Twenty-five days before Norooz, 12 pillars made of mud bricks were built in the courtyard, and 12 different kinds of seeds were sown on tops of the pillars.

On the sixth day of Norooz, they picked the newly grown plants and strewed them over the floor in the court, not collecting them until the 16th of Farvardin, called Mehr Day. Building a fire was another public custom observed particularly on the eve of Norooz. The fire which Iranians by tradition build on the last Wednesday of the year has its origin in this ancient custom. Ancient Persians respected fire, since it was believed that it cold help purify the air.

On the first morning of Norooz, people also sprinkled water on one another. After converting to Islam, the custom was preserved, only they used rose-water instead. Another tradition was bathing on the 6th day of Farvardin (March 26) and offering sugar to each other as a gift. The most glorious tradition, however, was allowing legumes to grow in a shallow dish of water, called "Sabzeh."

With the help of fire and light as symbols of good, we hope to see our way through this unlucky night - the end of the year - to the arrival of spring's longer days. Traditionally, it is believed that the living were visited by the spirits of their ancestors on the last day of the year.

In order to make wishes come true, it is customary to prepare special foods and distribute them on this night. Noodle soup, a filling Persian delight, is often served along with a mixture of seven dried nuts and fruits, pistachios, roasted chic peas, almonds, hazelnuts, figs, apricots, and raisins

The symbolic dishes consist of: sabzeh or sprouts, usually wheat or lentil representing rebirth; samanu is a pudding in which common wheat sprouts are transformed and given new life as a sweet, creamy pudding and represents the ultimate sophistication of Persian cooking; seeb means apple and represents health and beauty; senjed the sweet, dry fruit of the Lotus tree, represents love, happiness and joy. It has been said that when the lotus tree is in full bloom, its fragrance and its fruit make people fall in love and become oblivious to all else; seer, which is garlic in Persian, represents medicine; somaq or sumac berries, represent the color of sunrise allowing good to conquer evil; serkeh or vinegar, represents age and patience.

To reconfirm all hopes and wishes expressed by the traditional foods, other elements and symbols are also on the Sofreh. For instance, a few coins are often placed on the table to represent prosperity and wealth; a basket of painted eggs represents fertility; a Seville orange floating in a bowl of water represents the earth floating in space; a goldfish in a bowl represents life and the end of astral year-picas; a flask of rose water known for its magical cleansing power, is also included on the tablecloth; nearby is a brazier for burning wild rue, a sacred herb whose smoldering fumes ward off evil spirits; there is also a pot of flowering hyacinth or narcissus set on the Sofreh; a mirror which represents the images and reflections of Creation as we celebrate anew the ancient Persian traditions and beliefs that creation took place on the first day of spring; finally on either side of the mirror are two candlesticks holding a flickering candle for each child in the family. The candles represent enlightenment and happiness.