This text tries to show that Nowruzis not just a traditional festival, but can also be seen as an example of a secular idea. The author first discusses chronology and calendars, explaining that in civilizations such as Egypt, Babylon, and Iran, people created calendars by observing the sun, the moon, and the stars. In Iran too, different calendar systems existed until eventually the Jalali calendaremerged, which is one of the most accurate solar calendars in the world and is based on the spring equinox.

The text then moves to the discussion of secularism, explaining it as the separation of religion from government and lawmaking. From the author’s point of view, a secular government must remain neutral toward all religions, and its laws should be based not on religious belief but on reason, science, and the public good. The text also introduces several types of secularism, such as hard, soft, cultural, and liberal secularism.

In the main section, the author explains the relationship between Nowruz and secularism. The argument is that Nowruz is based on a natural and measurable phenomenon — the beginning of spring and the Earth’s movement around the sun— rather than on a religious narrative. For this reason, Nowruz can be acceptable to all people regardless of their religion or beliefs. From this perspective, Nowruz is presented as an example of a non-religious, universal festival and calendarsuitable for a secular government.

The author then argues that in a secular government, religion may remain in people’s personal and private lives, but it should not serve as the basis for official holidays, legislation, or public morality. He presents Nowruz as a symbol of rationality, calendrical order, and religious neutrality, and concludes that Nowruz can serve as an indicator for understanding a secular political order in Iran.