The new year in Afghanistan is called Nawroz (sometimes spelled
Nowruz or Nawruz in English). The first day of the Afghan month
Hamal, which falls on the 21st of March, was the first day of
the new year in Afghanistan and some other countries. This day
is considered one of the biggest holidays of the year. People
start getting ready for Nawroz a month before and celebrate the
actual day following the old Afghan traditions. One of the
biggest traditions for Afghans on Nawroz is to wear green
clothes and to cook green things. The idea is to give a new
start to their lives, the same as the growth of the green plants
in the spring, so they will be green, happy and fresh until the
end of the year. The word green in the Dari language is “sabz.”
Therefore, Afghans prepare seven dishes that start with the
letter “S.” One of the dishes that start with the green (sabz)
letter is called Samanak. This is a special dish that takes at
least two weeks to get ready to be cooked. The wheat used to
make Samanak is kept to grow