Naw Ruz (NouRooz, NowRuz) is a Persian festival which celebrates the New Year.
Naw Roz which means (New Day) is being celebrated by people in Afghanistan, Iran & Tajikistan also Muslims who belong to Shia't sect celebrate this new year all over the world,also Naw Roz is even being celebrated in Eastern Africa's Zinzibar island as Nairuzi.
Naw-Ruz is the first day of Hamal (Farvardin), the first month of the Afghani or Iranian solar year. Since ancient times it has been the great national holiday.
Beside the beginning of a new year Naw Roz is the first day of the spring which corresponds the 21st of March
Naw Roz is determined by the solar calendar.
Naw-Ruz is celebrated rather like the Christian Easter, with many symbols indicating spring and renewal.Preparation for Naw roz begins few days in advance people shop for new cloths, clean their houses & put new plants on the ground
A week or so before the holiday lentils are placed in a dish to sprout into a mass of green blades. On the day of Naw-Ruz the family gathers in new or freshly cleaned clothes. The table is decorated with fruit, cakes, coloured eggs and other treats. Among the best known customs of Naw-Ruz is the haft-sin -- the `seven S's'. These are seven objects beginning -- in Persian -- with the letter `S', such as hyacinths, apples, lilies, silver coins, garlic, vinegar and rue, decoratively arranged on a table.
A great deal of time is spent exchanging visits with friends and relatives.
, one or two day before the Naw Roz Afghans prepare their special drink which is a mixture of seven different fruits & is called (Haft Mewa) they clean the fruits & then put them in a big dish & pour water into it & leave it for at least 24 hours so when Naw Roz comes the drink is ready to be served.
In Afghanistan the first day of the year is a holiday & people start the day by greeting each other & drinking the Haft Mewa & they spend the rest of the day visiting family members & close friends.
Afghans from all over the country travel to the city of Mazaar e Sharif in the North for the biggest celebration of the year.
On Naw Roz day people get together by the grave of a (Hazrat e Ali HS) Muhammad PBUH's cousain in Balkh the capitol of Mazaar e Sharif & pray & at this day the Janda or flag is being raised for 40 days.
