Festive celebrations dedicated to Navrouz took place in Dushanbe on March 21.
A Caravan of Navrouz (Korvoni Navrouz) marched along the Roudaki Avenue to Dushanbe’s central square (Maidoni Dousti) in the morning.
Besides, festive concerts were held in all Dushanbe’s districts on March 21.
Meanwhile, theatrical show, dubbed Ganji Navrouz, was held at the Navrouzgoh Complex in the evening of March 22.
The theatrical show that was attended by President Emomali Rahmon and members of the government as well as high-raking foreign guests ended with fireworks.
Gushtingiri (traditional Tajik wrestling) contests and horse races took place at the Navrouzgoh Complex on March 23 and 24.
Navrouz, which literary means New Day in Persian, Dari and Tajik languages, is the traditional Iranian new year holiday, celebrated by Iranian and many other peoples. It marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (the start of spring in the northern hemisphere), which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. Today, the festival of Navrouz is celebrated in many countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, as well as Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Many peoples in West and South Asia, Northeast China, the Crimea, as well as Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia also celebrate this holiday.
In September 2009, the UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, included Navrouz in its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On February 23, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the International Day of Navrouz.
