Yalda Night and Nowruz 2027: California Dates and Events Guide
Yalda falls on Dec. 21, 2026, and Nowruz 2027 arrives March 20 at 1:25 p.m. PDT. Dates in California time, plus Iranian cultural centers from LA to Stanford.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27, 2026 — The next two big dates on the Iranian calendar are Yalda night in December and Nowruz in March, and both are set by astronomy. The U.S. Naval Observatory puts the winter solstice at 12:50 p.m. PST on Monday, Dec. 21, 2026 (20:50 UTC), according to its 2026 seasons data. Its 2027 data puts the spring equinox, the moment the Persian New Year begins, at 1:25 p.m. PDT on Saturday, March 20, 2027. This guide gives the dates in California time and lists the university centers and community groups that host Iranian cultural events across the state.
Yalda night: Dec. 21, 2026
Shab-e Yalda marks the longest night of the year, the night of the winter solstice. Because the solstice falls on the afternoon of Dec. 21 in California, the longest night begins that Monday evening.
The Farhang Foundation, a Los Angeles nonprofit founded in 2008 that calls itself “non-religious, non-political,” lists Shab-e Yalda among the events it holds for members, according to its website. It had not posted a 2026 Yalda date on its events calendar when this guide was published.
Nowruz 2027: the countdown in California time
Nowruz “marks the start of the Persian New Year, celebrates the arrival of spring, and acknowledges the eternal triumph of light over darkness,” President Trump said in his March 20, 2026 Nowruz message. UNESCO lists Nowruz, under its many regional spellings, on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, shared by 12 countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
Key dates for 2027, based on the Naval Observatory’s equinox time:
| Event | Date (California time) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chaharshanbe Suri | Evening of Tuesday, March 16, 2027 | Traditionally held on the eve of the year’s last Wednesday |
| Saal Tahvil (New Year moment) | Saturday, March 20, 2027, 1:25 p.m. PDT | Exact time of the spring equinox, per USNO |
| Sizdah Bedar | 13th day of the new year | Traditionally spent outdoors |
In Iran, the equinox will fall just before midnight Tehran time, so the official first day of the year there is likely to be March 21; Californians can watch the countdown on Saturday afternoon.
Where to find Iranian culture in Los Angeles
Through Nov. 8, the Farhang Foundation is promoting “Blind Runner,” a play that “interweaves the destinies of three Iranians,” at South Coast Repertory’s Julianne Argyros Stage in Costa Mesa. During AFI Fest it promoted screenings of Iranian films including “A Bit of Light,” about a Tehran doctor who loses his clinic after treating injured protesters.
UCLA’s Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World has posted its list of public events for the academic year that began in fall 2026, along with video recordings of past lectures. For deeper background on the eras behind these traditions, see Iranian History: From Elam to the Islamic Republic.
Orange County, the Bay Area and Berkeley
In Irvine, the Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at UC Irvine lists a Zoroastrianism Winter School for Dec. 14 to 18, with applications open. At Stanford, the Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies hosts the annual Bita Prize for Persian Arts, past concerts and film screenings, and a Stanford Festival of Iranian Arts. UC Berkeley’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, founded in 1963, keeps a public events calendar.
Holidays in a hard year
This year’s holidays fall during the 2026 Iran war, followed on the Iran War Tracker, and under new U.S. sanctions limits explained in our guide to the suspension of Iran remittance licenses. For more on the community itself, read Iranian Americans in California: Population, History and Hubs. Daily news is on the Iran News Hub.
Sources
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Earth’s seasons, 2026 (UTC)
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Earth’s seasons, 2027 (Pacific time)
- The White House: Presidential Message on Nowruz (March 20, 2026)
- UNESCO: Nowruz on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Related coverage
- Iranian History: From Elam to the Islamic Republic
- Iran War Tracker 2026: Deaths, Costs, Attacks and Timeline
- Iran News: Hormuz Talks, War and Nuclear Dispute
