Nowruz Celebrations Amidst Protests and Music

Nowruz, the Persian New Year, has begun, marking the start of spring and symbolizing revival and renewal for its more than 300 million celebrants in modern-day Iran and beyond. The roughly two-week festival typically includes food, dancing, singing, and poetry. Nowruz is more than 3,000 years old and has its roots in Zoroastrianism. The holiday has spread across the vibrant trade routes of the Silk Road and is now celebrated by a wide array of ethnicities and religious groups in countries beyond Iran, including India, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Pakistan.