Nowruz

What actually happens

Haft-sin — seven items beginning with the Persian letter sin, arranged on a cloth. Chaharshanbe Suri — jumping fire on the last Wednesday eve of the old year.

• 01Haft-sin — seven items beginning with the Persian letter sin, arranged on a cloth.
• 02Chaharshanbe Suri — jumping fire on the last Wednesday eve of the old year.
• 03Sizdah bedar — the thirteenth day outdoors, picnicking and discarding the sabzeh.
• 04Eid didani — visiting every relative in order of age, over thirteen days.

Sound of the crowd

Traditional Persian classical repertoire, and the improvisational avaz. Street celebration uses dammam drums and the Kurdish/Bakhtiari folk traditions; Nowruz TV specials run for two weeks.

How it survived

The festival is at least 3,000 years old and is documented in the Achaemenid period as a tribute ceremony at Persepolis. It survived Arab conquest, Mongol invasion and three revolutions, and was added to UNESCO's heritage list in 2010.