Nowruz
Also called Nawroz, Nauroz
New year starts on the first day of spring
What it is
March 20 or 21, the first day of spring
Nowruz means 'new day' in Persian, and it's the first day of the solar year that Afghans have used for a long time. It lands on the spring equinox. People across Central Asia, Iran and other places celebrate it too.
How people celebrate
Families make haft mewa, seven kinds of dried fruit and nuts soaked in water.
People clean the house and buy new clothes before the new year.
Families go on picnics and visit relatives as the weather warms up.
Farmers in some areas mark it as the start of the planting season, called Dehqan.
Mazar-i-Sharif has long been known for Jahenda Bala, raising a big banner at the Blue Mosque.
What people eat
- Haft mewa
- Seven dried fruits and nuts like raisins, walnuts and pistachios soaked in water.
- Samanak
- A sweet pudding made from sprouted wheat that cooks for hours, often overnight.
- Sabzi chalaw
- Spinach cooked with rice, a common Nowruz meal.
Did you know?
Women often cook samanak together from late in the evening until morning, stirring the pot and singing Nowruz songs.