‘A day to celebrate, connect and begin again’: Naw Ruz in Mount Druitt
The community of Mount Druitt has celebrated the Baha’i new year – or Naw Ruz – with a special gathering reflecting qualities of peace, unity and diversity.
Naw Ruz, which translates to ‘new day’ in Farsi, is celebrated at the completion of the 19-day Baha’i Fast and marks the beginning of the new Baha’i calendar year.
Friends from a diversity of cultures, ages and backgrounds participated in the neighbourhood celebration which featured prayers, music, reflections on the significance of the occasion, and plenty of food.
“Naw Ruz is a spiritual springtime. It’s a reminder that things can grow and get better,” one young participant said.
“It’s a day to celebrate, to connect, and to begin again. Not just in the world around us but within ourselves.”
Another participant shared that “we celebrate not only new year but also the spirit of friendship, community, and new beginnings.”
There are no strict formulas or rules when it comes to marking Baha’i Holy Days. Each individual and community can decide how they wish to mark the special period with friends and loved ones as they learn to read the reality of their own neighbourhoods.
Naw Ruz is celebrated in multiple regions across Asia and the Middle East and is one of the Holy Days celebrated in the Baha’i calendar.
Watch the video from the Mount Druitt celebration below:
Thanks for reading.
Subscribe
Mt Druitt
A neighbourhood located in the west of Sydney, Mt Druitt’s children, young people and adults are passionate about contributing to the betterment of their community. Through regular gatherings, children’s festivals, junior youth camps and social action endeavours, groups of families are striving to build a vibrant community life, welcoming one and all to play an […]
Published in March, 2026, in Community Stories > Holy Days
Available online at: horizons.bahai.org.au/community-stories/a-day-to-celebrate-connect-and-begin-again-naw-ruz-in-mount-druitt/
Related Stories
Strengthening ties between the community and the institutions in Elizabeth
The Baha’i community of Playford, South Australia is learning how to collaborate with government representatives as it strengthens the community-building efforts in its locality. In ...
Common endeavour cultivated through devotional spaces in Ballina
The regional community of Ballina is learning how spaces for devotion can act as an ideal space to initiate conversations and advance the educational process in a locality. Located in northern ...
Spirit of service highlighted at Ayyam-i-Ha celebration
The process of bringing families together in a spirit of service to humanity is being furthered in a Perth neighbourhood as the Baha’i institute process raises capacity in all ages to carry out ...
Prayer, food and service: Dardanup Ayyam-i-Ha a feast for the soul
More than 70 friends attended Dardanup Shire’s Ayyam-i-Ha celebration in the south-west of Western Australia, north of the city of Bunbury. Featuring devotions, a brief introduction to the ...
Uniting a community through an inclusive family festival devoted to giving
The community of Armadale, in the south-east of Perth, recently decided to host a special Ayyam-i-Ha festival engaging entire families in a celebratory event devoted to the theme of generosity. ...
Celebrating Ayyam-i-Ha in group settings
This year, the Ballarat Baha’i community decided to mark Ayyam-i-Ha a little differently. With an ever-growing contingent of friends joining the community-building process, hosting one ...