TEHRAN � Tehran will host the 4th national seminar titled �Noruz, the Heritage for Peace and Friendship� on March 5, 2016, aiming to promote Persian culture and civilization.

The event will be held two weeks before the celebration of the Iranian New Year, known as Noruz, which begins on March 21, the first day of spring.

Iranian scholars and academics will attend the event, which is organized by the Iranian Research Center for Cultural Heritage and Tourism.

Persian culture and civilization always highlights the importance of peace through history, cultural heritage official Alireza Hassanzadeh announced in a press release on Saturday.

The place of peace in tradition, the Noruz philosophy, Noruz narrations and fables are some of the themes of the festival, he added.

Noruz marks the first day of spring or Equinox and the beginning of the year in the Persian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical Northward equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.

The moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and families gather together to observe the rituals.

Noruz is celebrated by people from diverse ethnic communities and religious backgrounds for thousands of years.

By Tehran Times