DUSHANBE, March 11, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- This year, the main celebrations to mark the Navrouz festival will be held at the Dushanbe Central Stadium from March 21-22.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Shavkat Saidov, a spokesman for the Dushanbe mayor, said that a theatrical show, Navrouz 2009, will be held at the stadium on March 21. 

Gushtingiri (Tajik national wrestling) competitions will be held at the central stadium on March 22.  The same day, various cultural activities and street festivities will be organized in all areas of Dushanbe, the spokesman said.

Navrouz, which literary means New Day in Persian, Dari and Tajik languages, is the traditional Iranian new year holiday celebrated by Iranian and many other peoples.  It marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (the start of spring in the northern hemisphere), which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.  Today, the festival of Navrouz is celebrated in many countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, as well as Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.  Many peoples in West and South Asia, Northeast China, the Crimea and even in Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia also celebrate this festival.