For Baha’is, the New Year comes at a perfect time – March 21 --the vernal equinox, which marks the first day of spring and the end of the Baha'i Faith’s annual Nineteen Day Fast.

 
Called Naw-Ruz – “new day” in Persian, the Baha'i New Year has its roots in Persia, where the Baha'i Faith originated in the mid-1800s.

Naw-Ruz is one of nine holy days on which Baha’is suspend work. They start celebrating the holy day at sunset on March 20 by gathering for prayer and a festive meal. (The sunset on which the holiday begins comes at the end of the Fast. In the Baha’i calendar, days begin and end at sunset.)

An unusually large number of religious holidays are being observed on March 21 this year, according to an article in the March 24 online issue of TIME.  More specifically, says Raymond Clothey, professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of Pittsburgh, "Half the world's population is going to be celebrating something." Observances include:

Good Friday - Christian
Purim - Jewish
Narouz (Naw-Ruz) - Persian, Zoroastrian and Baha'i
Eid Milad an Nabi - Sunni Muslims
Small Holi - Hindu
Magha Puja - Buddhist

And here's another reason to celebrate: March 21 is also the U.N.-led International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.