On March 22nd Nevruz Day is celebrated in Albania, which commemorates the birthday of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-low of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was born in 600 AD.

In Albania, the Nevruz celebration is most common among the Bektashis but it is also celebrated by Sunny Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox and it has been an official public holiday since 1996.

Nevruz means ‘new day’ and is also seen as the advent of spring and the Persian New Year, although its roots even predate the Persian Empire and go back about 5,000 years. In Albania, Nevruz has been celebrated since the 14th century, when Bektashism spread around the country.

The build-up to Nevruz Day already starts about a month before the actual celebration. For four weeks, every Tuesday is dedicated to one of the elements, starting with Water Tuesday, followed by Fire Tuesday, Earth Tuesday, and lastly Wind Tuesday which marks the arrival of spring.

Like with most spring festivals, there is a lot of attention to purification and starting fresh. Traditionally, popular activities include planting trees, cleaning the house, making new clothes, and painting eggs. Relatives who have died are often commemorated by visiting their graves on the day before Navruz, and at night families gather for a festive meal.