Nowruz

The gathering in Mazar-i-Sharif

In the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the holiday coincides with the Guli Surkh festival, named for the red tulips that spread across the surrounding plains. For forty days, visitors arrive from across Afghanistan to take part. On the opening day, crowds assemble in the park near the Blue Mosque for Jahanda Bala, a ceremony where a consecrated banner is raised. During the festivities, riders also compete in buzkashi, an intense equestrian contest played before cheering crowds.

Dishes of the season

Households mark the season by preparing Haft Mewa, a sweet mixture of seven dried fruits steeped in syrup. The bowl typically includes raisins, dried oleaster fruit, pistachios, hazelnuts, prunes, walnuts, and almonds. Women also gather for an all-night cooking session to make samanak, a sweet dish prepared from sprouted wheat while singing traditional refrains. On the eve of the holiday, families cook sabzi chalaw, pairing rice with spinach. Bakeries sell special holiday cookies, while picnickers enjoy fried fish paired with crisp jelabi.

Parades and folklore

The first day of the year is also Farmer's Day, known as Jashn-e Dehqan. In Kabul and other cities, farmers walk through urban streets alongside civic leaders to promote agriculture and plant saplings. In central regions like Bamyan and Daykundi, a folk character named Kampirak appears. Dressed in bright garments with a long hat, this bearded elder recites poetry and shares collected donations, personifying winter yielding to spring. Many Kabul residents travel to green spots in Istalif or Charikar to picnic among blossoming Cercis trees.

Observance and modern shifts

Traditions surrounding Nowruz in Afghanistan have experienced shifting official policies over past decades. Afghan national television broadcast dramatic plays celebrating the holiday during the 1980s. Later authorities in the 1990s prohibited the festival, viewing it as non-Islamic. Following political changes in 2021, the holiday was formally dropped from the official state calendar, though families continue to keep the custom privately at home, maintaining their seasonal habits.

How Nowruz is kept

Preparations begin several days ahead, following the final Wednesday before the equinox. Women gather to prepare samanak wheat pudding overnight, while families soak dried fruits for Haft Mewa. On the holiday itself, thousands travel to Mazar-i-Sharif for the banner raising and buzkashi games, while farmers in major cities take part in agricultural parades. Families cook spinach rice, exchange fried fish and sweets, and head out to the valleys of Istalif and Charikar for open-air picnics during the two weeks that follow.

When and where

The celebration begins on 21 March to mark the first day of the solar new year and the start of spring. Festivities and picnics carry on for about two weeks, while tulip-season observances in northern Afghanistan continue for forty days.

Observed across Afghanistan and among Afghan diaspora communities worldwide. Major gatherings occur at the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, while rural celebrations and picnics take place in provinces such as Kabul, Bamyan, Daykundi, and Parwan.

What Nowruz means

The celebration welcomes the revival of nature, agricultural growth, and new beginnings after winter. Figures like Kampirak personify nature overcoming the cold, while the planting of saplings during Farmer's Day reflects hope for fruitful harvests. The shared preparation of sweet dishes brings neighbors and relatives together in mutual goodwill.

On the table

• Haft Mewa
• Samanak
• Sabzi Chalaw
• Kulcha-e Nowruzi
• Māhī wa Jelabī

Days Nowruz is marked

Nowruz dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Nowruz

See also

NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsYaldā NightA solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaChaharshanbe SuriAn Iranian festival of fire and renewal celebrated on the eve of the final Wednesday before spring.Pahlevani and zurkhaneh ritualsA traditional Iranian martial art blending calisthenics, wrestling, music and ethics

Good reading and sources

• نوروز و چالش‌های سیاسی و مذهبی در افغانستانBBC, Article
• ‘One day to enjoy’: Economy woes dampen Afghan Nowruz celebrationAl Jazeera, Article
• نوروز و چالش‌های سیاسی و مذهبی در افغانستانBBC, Article
• ‘One day to enjoy’: Economy woes dampen Afghan Nowruz celebrationAl Jazeera, Article

• Nowruz in Afghanistan on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.