Nowruz, meaning "new day” in Persian Dari, is a distinctive tradition in Afghanistan that marks a three-day celebration of New Year beginning on March 21. It celebrates vitality, freshness, ends winter, and welcomes the arrival of spring. Nowruz is a hallmark of Afghan culture, and during the three days of the Nowruz celebration, the process is that Afghans generally visit one of the two most famous places in Afghanistan on the first day, relatives on the second, and on the third day visit their friends.
On the first day of Nowruz people often visit one of two holy shrines. The first most amazing place people from all over the country prefer to visit in New Year is Mazar-e Sharif. Indeed, it is the epicenter of the celebration in Afghanistan where high ranking officials and thousands of people congregate at the Rawz-e-Sharif (Blue) Mosque celebrating Nowruz and Mela GuliSorkh ("picnic of the red flower") together. After that, different entertainment,…show more content… They exchange wishes and enjoy eating ethnic cuisines such as the most typical type of foods set from the Haftseen (explained below) fruit table. I recall my eager anticipation as a small boy when the host elders would give Eidy- cash for the New Year and special gifts such as, toys, coins, and candies for the children. Haftseen is a Dari word which means Seven Seens; Seen is a Dari letter for the letter S in English. Seb (apple), Samaaq (Shumac), Seer (garlic), Samanak (special paste made with wheat sprouts), Sonjed (jujube), Sonbul (the hyacinth flower), and Sirka (vinegar) are the usual Haftseen items. These items are symbols of peace, prosperity, virtue, justice, good deeds, generosity, beauty, patience, and opulence. In addition to Haftseen items, many Afghans put a mirror on the Haftseen table to manifest truth and beauty. Next, is the Holy Qur’an (the holy of book of Muslims) to strengthen and enlighten the bonding among the family