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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
World
Al Jazeera Staff

What is Nowruz and how is the Persian New Year celebrated?

Iraqi Kurdish people carry fire torches, as they celebrate Nowruz, a festival marking the first day of spring and the new year, in the town of Akra near Duhok [File: Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters]

Nowruz – No-Ruz or Farsi for “new day” – is an ancient festival celebrating the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

More than 300 million people celebrate the Persian New Year, which has been observed for more than 3,000 years in different regions, including the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and others.

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