Nowruz (Persian: نوروز ) is the traditional New Year holiday cheerfully celebrated and observed in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Georgia, Bosnia, Caucasus, Crimea, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Pakistan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Nowruz is a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians. Pictured: Nowruz celebrations in Dushanbe , Tajikistan ; dancing tajiki girls