The Iranian New Year, Nowruz - In pictures

Fish are seen before being sold at a market in Tehran Photograph: Vahid Salemi/AP

Iranians shop for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, at a market in Tehran
Photograph: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

Iranians, wearing red clothes and black make-up, as a symbol of the Iranian New Year, called Haji Firouz, sing and dance in a street, hoping to earn money from passers-by in northern Tehran Photograph: Vahid Salemi/AP

An Iranian woman buys flowers ahead of celebrations in Tehran for Persian New Year, or Nowruz Photograph: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

Iranians pay respect to the graves of soldiers who were killed during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, in Mashhad Photograph: Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua Press/Corbis

Iranian President Mahmoud delivering his Persian new year message to the nation Photograph: EPA

Nowruz is calculated according to a solar calendar, this year marking 1391
Photograph: Amin Mohammad Jamali/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Green sprouts are sold in samll clay containers at a market in Tehran for Nowruz, the Persian New Year
Photograph: Amin Mohammad Jamali/Gallo Images/Getty Images

An iranian man sells goods for Persian New Year, or Nowruz
Photograph: Amin Mohammad Jamali/Gallo Images/Getty Images