March 21^st was the first day of Spring but, for the members of the Bahá’í Faith, it was not only the Spring Equinox, it was also Naw-Rúz day. The celebration of Naw-Rúz (New Day) is a very ancient Persian custom dating back to the times of the Zoroastrian religion. Since then it has been celebrated by Persians as their New Year’s Day and as Persia was the birth place of the Bahá’í Faith, March 21st was adopted over 100 years ago by Bahá’ís and is celebrated by them all over the world with parties for their families and friends.

This year, the Bahá’ís of Inverness celebrated Naw-Rúz with a party on Saturday March 24^th in the Culduthel Hall. In total there were over 80 family and friends present from many countries and cultures. The evening began with prayers and the reading of letters of greetings (to the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom) from Tony Blair and David Cameron, followed by a wonderful international buffet meal. The highlight of the evening was The Tin Pan Alley Band (Leader Mary Gilmour) and, whether you were dancing or just sitting and listening to the exciting sounds of the big band, it was great fun and a really great way to start a New Year.