In this Sunday, March 20, 2011 photo, fireworks are seen above a mountain draped with the Kurdish flag for a celebration of Nowruz in Akra, 310 miles (500 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq. Nowruz, the Farsi-language word for "new year", is an ancient Persian festival, celebrated on the first day of spring in Central Asian republics, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran. Nowruz, the Farsi-language word for "new year", is an ancient Persian festival, celebrated on the first day of spring in Central Asian republics, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran. (AP Photo/Ahmed al-Husseini)