Happy New Year / Eid Mobarak

Today Persians all over the world celebrate Norouz which is the mark of a new year and the beginning of spring. We now enter 1387 AP (Anno Persico). It is almost a national tradition to do an extensive spring cleaning of the house (Jels, I'll leave that up to you this year) and purchase at least one new set of clothes (check!) and finally leave their clean home in their new clothes to visit the elders in the family and then other family and friends to exchange gifts. This continues for 12 days and on the 13th day families (=EVERYONE) leave their house for a picnic outdoors to celebrate nature.

...to be continued (with pictures!) later.

-bahareh