Nawroz or the Afghan Solar New Year marks the first day of spring and the start of spring crop planting. Spectators watched as competitors played Neza Bazi or 'tent-pegging'. Traditional Afghan cavalrymen on horseback attempted to remove a small wooden tent-peg from the ground using a lance or sword. Neza Bazi's origins date back to the 4th century B.C. and were once used to develop cavaliers' prowess with the sword and lance from horseback.
Mohibullah Samim, governor of Paktika Province, held an awards ceremony recognizing the top three horsemen.
Following the Awards ceremony, festival attendees performed the Attan, a traditional Afghan male ritual dance. The Attan's origins lay in the Afghan Pashtun tribes yester-years and were later modified into a Muslim dance for Soldiers allowing the dancers to get 'closer to God' before they advanced on their missions.
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