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Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

World

Nowruz Celebrations Ring In Persian New Year

Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year on the Iranian calendar, which occurs exactly on the spring equinox.

/ 15 PHOTOS
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

Turkish Kurds build a human tower during Nowruz celebrations in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, on March 21.

— Ilyas Akengin / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

Members of the Azeri diaspora dance in traditional costumes as they celebrate Nowruz in Tbilisi, Georgia on March 21.

— Vano Shlamov / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

A woman takes a picture of people lighting bonfires as they watch a torch procession up a hill during Kurdish Nowruz celebrations in Aqrah, Iraq on March 20.

— Gailan Haji / EPA
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

People watch a torch procession during Kurdish Nowruz celebrations in Aqrah, Iraq on March 20.

— GAILAN HAJI / EPA
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

A woman dances in front of a fire as Turkish Kurds gather for Nowruz celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey on March 21.

— Bulent Kilic / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

Young men climb scaffolding as Turkish Kurds gather for Nowruz celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey on March 21.

— Bulent Kilic / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

People dressed in traditional costumes participate in Nowruz celebrations in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on March 21.

— Igor Kovalenko / EPA
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

A vendor sells cotton candy during Nowruz festivities in Kabul, Afghanistan on March 21.

— Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

Children play on swings during Nowruz celebrations at the Kart-e-Sakhi shrine in Kabul, Afghanistan on March 21.

— Massoud Hossaini / AP
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

An Iranian woman prays at the graves of unknown soldiers killed during 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, at the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery outside Tehran, Iran, on the eve of Nowruz on March 20. 

— Ebrahim Noroozi / AP
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

A Kurdish woman dances during Nowruz celebrations in Lavrio, Greece on March 21.

— Eleftherios Elis / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

Iraqi Kurds hold lit torches as they walk up a mountain in the town of Akra, Iraq during Nowruz on March 20.

— Safin Hamed / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

A young girl jumps over fire during the Kurdish community's Nowruz celebrations in Istanbul on March 21.

— Chris McGrath / Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

A girl looks out a window of the Hazrat-e-Ali shrine during Nowruz festivities in Mazari-i-Sharif, Afghanistan on March 21.

— Farshad Usyan / AFP - Getty Images
Image: Nowruz Persian New Year Celebrations

Three girls hug during Nowruz celebrations in the Hockey refugee camp at the former Olympic complex in a suburb of Athens, Greece on March 21.

— Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP - Getty Images
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