If you haven’t had enough of New Year celebrations yet you’re in luck, as March sees Nowruz the Persian or Iran New Year. Not that it’s that ‘new’ since it has been celebrated in the area for over 3,000 years. It is observed at the vernal equinox but its manner of celebration varies widely, and for Zoroastrians it is a holy day.
Many households are decorated with flowers
It is difficult to talk about a universal set of observances for Nowruz as it is celebrated by the Bektashi in Albania, the Kurds, parts of China and the USA amongst other countries, but many celebrations involve giving the house a spring clean before the big day and of course food plays a major part in the festivities. {copytag:[611]:copytag}
Many households are decorated with flowers, hyacinths and tulips are particularly popular. This is also a chance to update your wardrobe, and in Iran many people treat themselves to some new clothes at this time of year. Parsis also see the New Year off to a new sartorial start and they often decorate their homes with images of stars, birds, fish and butterflies. They may also paint patterns called rangoli. In China, celebrants have a very busy Nowruz and often engage in physical work such as planting trees and dredging canals.
