The observances will take different multi-cultural forms in the 120,000 localities where Baha'is reside around the world, but typically include devotions, celebrations, and feasting. The festival comes at the end of a 19-day fast, in which adult Baha'is abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset as a reminder of the need for freedom from the pressure of material desires.

(Photo: Among those celebrating Naw-Ruz this year are these Baha'i youth, from a diverse range of countries, who are serving as volunteer staff at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel.)