owruz fell in Ramazan this year so the celebrations were muted but many, especially those from the Afghan community, still observed it with love and reverence on 20^th March.

While some people only exchanged greetings with one another, others threw iftar parties with tables featuring the Sofra-i-Haft-Seen items which symbolise rebirth, beauty, love and hope.

Nowruz, a 3,000-year-old festival has its roots in ancient traditions which were about welcoming the first day of the Persian calendar New Year that coincided with the advent of the spring season.

The festival has its origin in Iran but many people in several other countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and most Central Asian states also celebrate it. Afghan refugees popularised this festival in and around Peshawar city in the early ’80s.

Nowruz traditions involve setting up Haft-Seen – a servig cloth bearing seven items. These items - Seer, Somagh, Serkeh, Senjed, Samanu, Sabez and Seb begin with the same Urdu letter (Seen) and symbolise the colour of the sunrise, patience, love, affluence, rebirth and beauty.

This year, Khana-i-Farhang - the cultural centre of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Peshawar also arranged a special Haft-Seen table with Sabez, (lentil sprouts), Samanu (sweet wheat pudding), Senjed (wild olive), Serkeh( vinegar), Seeb( apple) and Seer ( garlic).

Shujaat Hussain, a spokesperson for the Khana-i-Farhang, said that Nowruz had been the most dominant theme in classical Persian literature. He said eminent Persian poets including Hakim Umar Khayyam and Abu Rehan Firdausi had mentioned it in their works. He said that in Iran, Nowruz is celebrated as a national event. “Iranians celebrate this festival not as a religious ritual but as an ancient tradition,” Hussain said.

Nowruz traditions involve setting up Haft-Seen – a serving cloth bearing seven items. These items — Seer, Somagh, Serkeh, Senjed, Samanu, Sabez and Seb begin with the same Urdu letter (Seen). Each of these symbolises something such as the colour of the sunrise, patience, love, affluence, rebirth and beauty.

He said that Nowruz had evolved through the ages and people around the globe had added their own colours and tastes to the festival. “The main objective is to show gratitude,” he said.

Abid Ghazi, a young Afghan poet, said that the Afghan community as well as the local residents took great interest in the event. He said that this Nowruz he had chaired a poetry recital to spread the message of peace, harmony and love.

Roshana Khalil and Siala Khalil, residents of Peshawar, said that they had been celebrating Nowruz for the last three decades by setting up Haft-Seen tables and inviting their loved ones over. “It is a lovely tradition; we enjoy it with our family members and share photos with our distant cousins on social media,” the duo said.

“The festival, also known as haft-Mewa, was celebrated in many different ways across the world since times immemorial as the tradition had been reshaped in local cultures but decorating tables with seven different fruits remained almost unchanged,” said Gul Meena Bibi, an Afghan refugee.

Besides Afghan refugees, people from Chitral and Kurram tribal districts also celebrate Nowruz every year. They decorate their tables with a variety of dishes, fruits and beverages. Rakhsanda Amin, a young woman from Chitral serving as a nurse in a local hospital, said that Nowruz was celebrated in many areas including Yarkhoon, Rech, Khot and Lotkoh valleys as well as Gilgit-Baltistan. “The residents of these regions had added other items to the list of ‘seven’ including mirror, coins and goldfish symbolising self-reflection, wealth and rebirth,: she said.

The writer is a Peshawar-based journalist. He mostly writes on art, culture, education, youth and minorities. He tweets @Shinwar-9