Nowruz in Kabul: A Tale of Spring from Forty Years Ago
In old Kabul, Nowruz, the ancient festival marking the arrival of spring, had a unique charm, and people welcomed the new year with special traditions. House cleaning, cooking local dishes and sweets, Tabaq-e Nowruzi, Samanak preparation, and egg-fighting were key parts of these celebrations.
A few days before Nowruz, the city transformed as people prepared for spring. Families cleaned their homes, washed carpets, polished windows, and tidied streets to welcome the new year in a fresh and clean environment.
On the first day of the year, people wore new clothes and gathered with family. Women prepared Sabzi Challow (spinach rice), often served with yogurt and rhubarb. Wealthier families added kofta (meatballs) to the meal.
One of the most cherished traditions was making Samanak. A few days before Nowruz, wheat was soaked and allowed to sprout. The sprouted grains were crushed, strained, and then cooked in large pots over a fire. Women and girls gathered, sang songs, played drums, and celebrated throughout the night. A famous traditional song sung during Samanak preparation included:
"Samanak is boiling, we stir the ladle,
Others are asleep, we beat the drum..."
Another significant tradition was preparing Haft Mewa, a mix of seven dried fruits: senjed (oleaster), black raisins, red raisins, dried apricots, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. Families soaked some ingredients overnight before adding the nuts the next day. It was served before breakfast and offered to guests.
Tabaq-e Nowruzi was another important custom where the groom’s family sent gifts like jalebi, fish, dried fruits, clothes, and cosmetics to the bride’s family. In return, the bride’s family sent boiled eggs, dried fruits, and clothing for the groom. The groom would visit his fiancée’s house, wearing a special white-collared outfit to receive the gifts.
Folk figures like Baba Nowruz and Nana Nowruz played a key role in Nowruz festivities. Near the end of March, men would beat drums and sing in the streets, while women went door to door singing festive songs in exchange for small gifts.
Boiled and colored eggs were also a part of Nowruz, either naturally dyed with onion peels or hand-painted. Egg-fighting was a favorite game among children and teenagers, where two opponents struck their eggs together, and the one whose egg remained unbroken won.
One of the major Nowruz events was Jashn-e Dehqan (Farmer’s Festival). Farmers, dressed in traditional attire and accompanied by decorated livestock, paraded in the city stadium before the royal audience. This tradition continued until the era of Mohammad Daoud Khan, after which it gradually declined.
During Nowruz, many families from Kabul went for outdoor picnics in green spaces. Popular destinations included Sakhi Shrine, Koh-e Khwaja Safa, Siah Sang Hill, Maranjan Hill, Chihil Sutun Garden, Zanana Garden, and Bagh-e Babur.
Today, some old customs have faded or evolved, but many, like Samanak cooking, Haft Mewa, and Haft Seen, continue to be widely observed in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan
