Afghan Warrior

Afghan people peacefuly celebrated "Nowroz", the first day of the new year with the glorious celebration on Monday. As per tradition, Afghans attended the flag-hoisting ceremonies at their local renowned tombs. In the New Year ceremony, people make and serve a special kind of fruit drink called "Haft Miwa" {comprised of seven kinds of fruit}, and they visit relatives. This festival was banned under the Taliban regime. The new year was celebrated in all provinces. In the capital, Kabul, the celebration was attended by thousands of Kabul residents and some government officials. At the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Karta-e-Sakhi tomb near the TV hill, all Afghan people were looking very happy and hopeful because the new year arrived with snow and rain and they hope it will be full of peace and security as well. Kabul's hillsides are just turning green after a long drought. Hillsides were crowded with young boys and girls and families celebrating the holiday. Unfortunately a landmine was detonated during the celebration and a young boy was wounded.

Almost every city of Afghanistan has some sort of central festival where the people collectively welcome the new year as well as the spring season. Capital Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif celebrate the new year with a different style, especially the biggest festival held every year in Mazar-e-Sharif. In Balkh province, hundreds or thousands of people, starting from early morning, gather around the historical shrine of Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammed {peace be upon him} and also the fourth Caliph of Islam. This is the historical shrine with a history reaching back hundreds of years and the people of Afghanistan, especially the northern people, have very high respect and pay tribute to this shrine. The shrine is always full of pilgrims from almost all parts of Afghanistan. The main function of new year is also held in this shrine. This shrine is also famous because of the blue mosque. It has a lot of attractions for foreign tourists and the blue dome of the shrine is a noble piece of ancient architecture. The main reason is not only to celebrate new year but the gathering of the people and the brotherhood and unity among the people.

The red rose naturally grows every year in the deserts near Mazr-e-Sharif city, so that is why its also famous for the Red Rose ceremony - it shows the spectacular desert views.

Afghan people are hoping to enter into another phase of their history, which is democracy, rule of law, supremacy of constitution, unity, and brotherhood.