Nowruz celebration in a Kurdistan village

​​​​​​Today, it is celebrated by millions of people in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and other countries in the region. The festival begins on the vernal equinox, usually around March 21st, and lasts for 13 days. It is a time for families to come together, clean their homes, buy new clothes, and prepare special dishes for the holiday. One of the most important traditions of Nowruz is the Haft-Seen table, a display of seven symbolic items that represent different aspects of life and nature. These items include sabzeh (wheat or barley sprouts), samanu (sweet pudding), senjed (dried fruit), seer (garlic), seerag (apples), somaq (sumac berries), and serkeh (vinegar). Each item is believed to bring blessings and prosperity in the coming year. Another important tradition of Nowruz is the Chaharshanbe Suri, or Fire Festival, which takes place on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz.