Friday
23 March 2001
Tehran
-- Celebrations were held over the past few days
to mark Norooz in China and Tajikistan. The
ceremonies, marking advent of the new Iranian
year, was held at Beijing's Sheraton Hotel, where
Iranians residing in Beijing and other cities of
China as well as representatives from a number of
countries which observe Norooz, Chinese Persian
language students and a number of foreign
reporters were present.
Iran's Ambassador
to China Hossein Mala'ek congratulated the
audience on the occasion and thanked
representatives of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Aran
(Republic of Azerbaijan), Turkey and Afghanistan
for attending the ceremony. The representatives
took turns to extend Norooz greetings to others.
Music and stage
performances and songs were among other programs
at the ceremonies. Meanwhile, in
Tajikistan, on the first and second days of
Farvardin, the first month of the new year, people
gathered in squares and parks to watch shows by
artists who wore traditional clothes and sang
songs to welcome the spring season.
The main streets of
the city were crowded with people who held
branches of flowers and wore new, colorful
clothes. Despite the influence of foreign culture,
Tajik people give special importance to their
Iranian rituals and costumes. A seminar was held
in Kulab on Norooz in Tajikistan, where Governor
General of Iran's Hamedan Province Ali Jaberian
and his entourage were present. Schools and
universities are closed in Tajikstan during Norooz.
Source:
IRNA
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