Helen Ramirez / Roundup
Persian New Year was celebrated for the first time at Pierce College on Thursday in the Great Hall from noon to 2 p.m.
Although Persian New Year was on Saturday March 20, the Persian Club, Pierce Diversity Committee, and Associated Students Organization (ASO) joined to commemorate the special day on campus.
“Norouz,” meaning new day in Farsi (language widely spoken in Iran and Afghanistan), is also the name given to Persian New Year.
Norouz is always celebrated on the first day of spring at the moment when the sun passes over the equator marking the spring equinox. This year the first day of spring is Saturday at 10:32 a.m.
“The best part of Persian New Year are the festivities that all Persians do around the world to start a brand new year,” said Nazanin Bahrampour, office manager at Center for Academic Success and advisor of the Persian Club.
Bahrampour was born in the United States, but her family has continued the traditional celebration.
Bahrampour explained how all Persian households will have a table of seven items that being with the letter “S” in Farsi. These seven things are called “Sofreyeh Haft Seen” in Farsi. The seven things symbolize prosperity and growth explained Bahrampour.
Norouz lasts for 13 days after March 20. During those 13 days, Persians spend time with their families continuing in the celebration of the New Year.
For this reason, 13 tables were set up in the Great Hall during the celebration on campus, mentioned Mitra Hoshiar, sociology instructor.
Hoshiar took the initiative to propose planning an event to commemorate the Persian New Year during a Pierce Diversity Committee meeting. From that date (Feb. 26), Hoshiar contacted Bahrampour and they began working together to make sure the event ran smoothly.
“It was definitely a joint collaboration,” said Hoshiar. “That’s the beauty of it.”
Hoshiar has taught at Pierce for five years, but she lived in Iran for 24 years. In an effort to pursue her education, she came to the United States in 1992.
She recalls how Persians in Iran celebrate Norouz.
“Younger ones go to visit their grandparents,” said Hoshiar. “And money is given to the younger ones,” Hoshiar added.
She explained that during Persian New Year the older generations give the younger generations gifts, usually money.
“They want to give them good luck for the year,” said Hoshiar.
The celebration event filled almost all 13 tables. The Iranian national anthem was played at the beginning of the event. Everyone stood and some even sang along.
After the national anthem, President Baraka Obama’s speech to the Persian community was shown through the projector. Following the speech, Hoshiar and Bahrampour thanked those whom had h
elped organize the event.
Throughout the beginning of the event, students lined up to have hot teas served for them in glass cups. There were also cookies that were set up next to the hot tea dispensers and students.
While students drank tea and ate their cookies, Hoshiar took the students on a “virtual tour of tutor of Tehran” (the capital of Iran) through images of Iranian cultural.
“Don’t leave yet,” said Hoshiar. “Dancing and food are coming.”
Following this statement, the DJ began playing the music louder and many began to clap.
Soon three girls appeared from the side. They were barefoot and dressed in magenta dresses with silver and gold sparkling decorations.
They smiled as they spun their wrists, arms, and shoulders to the rhythm of the music.
This first dance was followed by two more traditional dances, during which the three girls would dance into the audience. They would pick people from the audience to dance. Some denied, but others stood up and danced.
One of those audience members was Alfredo Galicia, a graduate from California State University Northridge (CSUN) but came back to school to major in legal office procedures.
“I go to all of these parties,” Galicia said. “There all fun.”
Galicia is of Mexican decent and said, “I really don’t see a difference.”
“I see smiles and everyone is happy,” Galicia said.
Galicia added, “The bottom line is that we’re all human beings.”
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Hina Curtice, Marta Kunstas and Olga Kramarova perform in the Great Hall. The Persian Club and Diversity Committee teamed up to celebrate “Norouz,” the Persian New Year last Thursday. Students, staff and faculty were able to enjoy Persian dance and food, as well as learn about the New Year’s history. (Victor Stephen Kamont / Roundup)