"Kurds in the city of Afrin in Syria’s Aleppo province celebrated Nowruz on Friday, with wide participation and notable attendance from various Syrian communities. Footage shows people walking with festive torches in their hands, as well as performing traditional dances to the rhythm of folk music. "Today we came to celebrate the Nowruz flame. Tomorrow we will be celebrating Nowruz, and we are elated and enthusiastic for these festivals. We mark the holiday annually. We have been preparing for a month. On March 20, we light the Nowruz torch and roam the place while holding it,” Suha John, a local woman, shared. The social activist, Gaith Kiali, who attends the festival for the first time, said he was 'stunned' while praising the festive rituals - lighting torches, climbing up the mountain, and celebrating together, adding, "We see all Syrians gathered here, Arabs, Kurds and all components, to celebrate this holiday." On January 16, 2026, Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a legislative decree officially declaring March 21 a national public holiday, describing it as a 'national celebration symbolising spring and fraternity'. Nowruz, which signifies the first day of spring and the Persian New Year, goes back over 3,000 years. Iranian and Turkish people as well as Kurds celebrate the holiday according to the astronomical solar calendar. The United Nations officially recognised the International Day of Nowruz in February 2010 via UN General Assembly Resolution 64/253.  In December 2024, the current transitional government seized power in Damascus. Ahmed Al Sharaa was appointed interim president, pledging an inclusive government. Several violations had been purportedly perpetrated against civilians from Druze, Alawite, Christian and other minorities. The Suwayda province later called for separation, while the Syrian coast demanded ‘decentralisation’. Meanwhile, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have refrained from integration into the ‘new Syrian army’ at the time of publication."