An Afghan family celebrates Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the privacy of their home, as the country's Taliban rulers consider the festival "illegal". The celebrations include cooking traditional dishes, visiting relatives and going for picnics. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by millions across the world, including many in Afghanistan. Nowruz was previously celebrated widely in the Muslim-majority country, but it is now considered "illegal" by the country's ultra-conservative Taliban rulers though they do not stop people outright from celebrating it. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES