Iran is gearing up for its annual Nowruz (Persian New Year) celebrations. In Tehran, a group of artists are decorating ornamental eggs with colourful drawings.
Nowruz is celebrated on the 21st of March as part of the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar. The festival its origins in the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism and is thus rooted in the traditions of the Iranian peoples; however, it has been celebrated by diverse communities for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia.
Presently, while it is largely a secular holiday for most celebrants and enjoyed by people of several different faiths and backgrounds, Nowruz remains a holy day for Zoroastrians, Baháʼís and some Muslim communities.
Traditional customs of Nowruz include fire and water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, reciting poetry, symbolic objects and more; these customs differ between the diverse peoples and countries that celebrate the festival.