Iran pavilion is set to add extra charm to the prestigious Expo 2020 Dubai by widening its outline such as an enormous celebration of Noruz, the Persian New Year, which will begin on March 21.
The decision was reached during a meeting between the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Ezatollah Zarghami, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili and Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister Reza Fatemi Amin, Mehr reported on Sunday.
During the meeting, the financial support needed to implement the ideas for improving the condition of Iran’s pavilion during the remaining 100 days of the expo was also discussed.
Noruz, which usually falls on March 21st every year, marks the beginning of spring across a vast geographical area. The feast was initially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, as a common tradition for Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. However, the five other countries put in requests officially to be added to the list during a meeting held in Tehran in January 2014.
In December 2016, Iran and 11 other countries registered Noruz as a common tradition during the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Noruz, according to UNESCO, promotes the values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families, as well as reconciliation and neighborliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and various communities.
Noruz traditions, however, vary from place to place, ranging from leaping over fires and streams in Iran to tightrope walking, lighting candles at house doors, traditional games such as horse racing, or the traditional wrestling practiced in Kyrgyzstan.
Persian
