KABUL, Afghanistan – Groups of female hustle and bustle of Sakhi Shah-e Mardan Temple in Karte Sakhi in West Kabul, where many Afghans gather every year to celebrate Nowruz, which marks spring arrival. They rushed to the mosque located inside the temple, posing for selfie and tiktok videos, wearing a colorful dress wearing sequins.

This is the first nowruz because the Taliban returned to 20 years after they were overthrown in the United States led invasion.

Taliban rules and lethargic economies seem to put reducer on this year’s celebration. While the scenes at the temple and the mosque felt like other nowruz in Afghanistan, today the number – even at rush hour the night before Nowruz – less than last year.

Colorful flag trembled in the spring breeze outside the Shiite Temple and Mosque and on the streets in the surrounding environment. roadThe temple was attacked in 2018 during the Nowruz celebration. At least 31 people were killed in the attack claimed by ISIL (ISIS).

Nowruz has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years, observed by adherents of the two main branches of Islam – Sunni and Shias in Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia and the Middle East – and are usually marked by national holidays.

On Sunday, the Taliban government said there would be no public holiday for the new year of Persia, even though they said they would not stop people to celebrate the festival if they wanted.

Most businesses in Kabul have chosen not to open, the owner chooses to stay home with their family for Nowruz. Some street vendors sell food along the road, but they are outnumbered by the Taliban in heavy security shows even though most of the roads are empty.