About 300 million people around the world participated in Nowruz, the Persian New Year celebration, which was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
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Recently, people from countries with Persian cultural influence such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan... celebrated the Nowruz festival. In the photo: People pKyrgyz women pose in traditional clothes during the Nowruz festival in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (Source: EPA) |
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Nowruz festival, considered the Persian New Year, is one of the oldest festivals in the world, existing for more than three thousand years. In the photo: An Iranian family attends the Nowruz party in Tehran, Iran. (Source: Reuters) |
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| Nowruz in Persian means “new day”, so it is a day of celebration that marks the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one and is celebrated on the astronomical spring equinox, usually occurring released on March 21. In photo: Afghan people gather around Saint Sakhi Saib temple in Kabul to celebrate. (Source: EPA) |
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The celebration lasts for 13 days and is an opportunity to reflect on the past and set plans for the future. This festival has its roots in Zoroastrianism, a religion practiced in ancient Persia that predates Christianity and Islam. In the photo: Afghan woman visits the shrine of Saint Sakhi Saib to celebrate Nowruz, in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Source: EPA) |
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On the days of Nowruz, people often pray for a good start for a lucky and prosperous new year. In photo: Syrian Kurds light a fire during the Nowruz holiday in Qamishli city, Hasakah province in northeastern Syria. (Source: AFP) |
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Over time, the Persian New Year became an indispensable part of the traditional culture of many Muslim peoples. In some countries, the Persian New Year is recognized as a national festival. At this time, all towns and villages throughout ancient Persia held rituals to welcome the new year, along with festive activities... (Source: AFP) |
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In 2009, UNESCO recognized Nowruz on the list of representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. UNESCO assessed Nowruz as promoting the values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families, as well as reconciliation and neighborliness. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21 as the International Day of Nowruz. In the photo: People participate in Nowruz celebrations in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (Source: AFP) |
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Water and light show during Nowruz celebration at Iran Mall in Tehran. [Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images] |
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| The celebration of Nowruz is often different in each country, but there are some common traditions. Included are the symbolic preparations with fire, water, and ritual dances that sometimes involve jumping over flames. The fire symbolizes the purification of bad experiences from the previous year. In the photo: People gather around a fire in Kirkuk, Iraq. (Source: Getty Images) |
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Nowruz's series of festive events ends on the 13th day of the first month of the new year according to the Persian calendar. On this day, people end their festive activities, and from the 14th day onwards, people return to their daily work. In the photo: Flames are lit during Nowruz celebrations in Kirkuk, Iraq. (Source: Getty Images) |
(according to Al Jazeera)
