نوروز فراتر از ایران — افغانستان، تاجیکستان و جهان ایرانی
Nowruz is the shared cultural heritage of the broader Persian-speaking and Iranian-influenced world. In Afghanistan, where Dari (Afghan Persian) is an official language alongside Pashto, Nowruz is the most important holiday, marked by the Mazar-e Sharif flag-raising ceremony and massive celebrations. The Taliban regime has intermittently tried to suppress Nowruz as 'pre-Islamic' — as has Iran's Islamic Republic, with equal failure.
In Tajikistan, where Tajik (an eastern dialect of Persian) is the official language, Nowruz (spelled Navruz) is a national holiday with ancient traditions including wrestling competitions, sumalak (ceremonial halva cooking), and traditional music. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan also celebrate Navruz/Novruz as national holidays.
Kurdish communities from Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria celebrate Newroz — particularly significant as a symbol of Kurdish cultural identity and resistance. The day coincides with the mythological liberation of the Medes from Assyrian tyranny. The Kurdish celebration, often with bonfires and political overtones, is sometimes violently suppressed in Turkey and Iran.
Yes — Nowruz is Afghanistan's most important cultural holiday, celebrated especially in the Dari-speaking (Persian-speaking) community. The Mazar-e Sharif celebration is famous for its flag-raising ceremony. The Taliban has tried to suppress it, with limited success.
Yes — Kurds celebrate Newroz as their most important cultural holiday, coinciding with the Persian spring equinox celebration. For Kurds, it commemorates the liberation from Assyrian tyranny by the mythological blacksmith Kaveh and the hero Kawa.