On March 20, Iranians bid farewell to 1395 on the Iranian calendar, celebrating the arrival of a new year. In keeping with tradition, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani have both issued video messages to mark the occasion of Nowruz.
In his video message, the supreme leader usually congratulates the Iranian people on Nowruz and "names" the new year, in a move to emphasize the broader policy priorities of the establishment. The video message is usually followed by a public speech in the holy city of Mashhad on the first day of the new Iranian year, which this year falls on March 21.
