Iranians Celebrating Nowruz, Marking Start of New Year
Nowruz, which dates back at least 3,000 years, is celebrated in a number of other countries across the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Balkans and East Africa.
People in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan celebrate the original message of Nowruz which is rebirth and renewal.
Nowruz, which coincides with the first day of spring on the solar calendar (this year on March 21) was registered as an International Day on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on February 23, 2010.
Nowruz is a time to visit relatives and friends, and pay respect to senior family members.
In Iran, Nowruz is followed by four days of public holidays, and schools and universities close for two weeks.
Iranians spend the night of Nowruz with their family members.
Many families give a money gift (called eidi) to the children to mark the new year.
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