The United Nations Organization held a ceremony at its Headquarters in New York to mark the International Day of Nowrouz.
    

The ceremony was attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and representatives, ambassadors along with diplomats from other member states.

The ceremony was co-organized by Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN and eleven other countries.

Addressing the ceremony, the UN chief expressed pleasure with his presence in the event, and said that Nowrouz is an ancient tradition bringing people of diverse cultures closer together.

He added that Nowrouz is a culture shared by different countries from Central Asia to Caucasus and Middle-East.

Also during the ceremony, Iran's UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazayee described Nowrouz as a symbol of unity among nations.

Nowrouz, which coincides with the first day of spring on the solar calendar, is mostly celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

The International Day of Nowrouz was registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on February 23, 2010.

For Iranians, Nowrouz is a celebration of renewal and change, a time to visit relatives and friends, and pay respect to senior family members.

Iranians welcome the New Year by wearing new clothes and setting the Haft Seen, a table containing seven items starting with the letter 'S'; Sabzeh (freshly grown greens), Samanu (sweet wheat paste), Senjed (jujube), Seeb (apple), Seer (garlic), Serkeh (vinegar) and Somaq (sumac).

Source: Fars