Noroz (A new  day) is the 13 starting days of the Lunar year and Afghans are celebrating it patiently. Celebrating Noroz is a very beautiful tradition among Afghan people and it stars from the night before  Noroz. The night before women in the families gathered and bring a very big dish to make Samank (special sweat dish for Noroz), Normally they need to start making the dish sometimes at 10 or 11 o'clock in the night and all girls in the family should be there.

The oldest women in family starts to stir the dish and while she is stirring, young girls start singing the special song for Noroz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU9dlbCEtX4.
When the dish is about to finish, grandma call young girls one by one to stir the dish and make a wish and the dish need to be on a very weak fire up to year change. They eat the dish at the time that year change and pray to god.

The biggest celebration is in Mazare Sharif (the center of Balkh province), which called "Mele Gule sorkh" (the rod of red flowers) because lot's of tulip flowers is growing up in Mazar. Beside that Mazar is the location of Imam Ali's(one of Muslim's greatest leader) grave, so that most of Afghans people chose to go there and celebrate new year. There would be another happening called Janda bala means they take out one of the piece of Imam Ali's clothes which is very emotional and spiritual moment for Afghans.

However this year Afghans were not passing a good time, but still I was seeing lot's of wishes and hopes in each and everyone's eyes, maybe all are hoping that new year and this holy time may change the situation in our country. Let's Pray that the education of women in Afghanistan continues.

Wish all Afghan people a very happy and peaceful year, and please support Film Annex's efforts in the education of Afghanistan.

Susan Atai