TEHRAN -- Iran’s national doll Amu Noruz (Uncle Noruz) will be greeting children at Noruz this year, giving them the good news of the New Year’s arrival.

“Amu Noruz” concerns the legendry Iranian figure Uncle Noruz who is similar to Santa Claus and brings new life and warmth to every household each Noruz, the Iranian New Year which begins on March 21 and coincides with spring.
The West Azerbaijan department of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), which is sponsoring production, is expecting to release the dolls on the Iranian market before the beginning of the New Year.
“We hope to complete manufacture of the dolls in sufficient quantity before the New Year,” director of West Azerbaijan department of IIDCYA Sadeq Rezaii told the Persian service of MNA on Monday.
Publishing the Amu Noruz Calendar as well as stories about Amu Noruz are also planned at the department, he added.
He also said that there are plans to produce two other Iranian national dolls, Sara and Dara, in the country.
The two dolls were previously designed and produced by a company in China.
Rezaii added that the department intends to provide novels for young adults. “About 40 authors have signed contracts with the department to write novels for the young adults. The books will be published in large numbers by the end of this year, to be available for children next year.”