The celebration of the Persian New Year This year’s Nowruz is different for many people
In B.C., the Persian New Year is being celebrated in full swing.
It’s called Nowruz in Farsi, Navroz in the Ismaili Muslim tradition, and Naw-Rz in the Baha’i faith. It’s a two-week holiday that celebrates the end of the old and the start of the new with food, friends, and gifts.
But this year’s celebrations look a little different for some people because of the turmoil and ongoing unrest in Iran.
Joyful celebrations are tempered by the fact that in Iran, many women are fighting for their freedom. This is because the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini, who was 22 years old, started months of protests against the regime over human rights and security.
When people walk into Delara, a Persian restaurant in Vancouver, they are greeted by a Haftsin, which is an arrangement of symbolic objects that is often seen at Nowruz.
A new drink called the Mahsa Amini has been added to the list of drinks.
Owner Bardia Illbeigi says that his restaurant is a place where people can talk about the political unrest in Iran and learn more about it.
“People come in and ask about the events, so opening up a conversation about it helps us talk about it and also makes more people around the world aware of it,” he said.
Even though Nowruz is a time to celebrate, he says that these global problems can be felt.
“All Iranians have a serious way of thinking. We’re all thinking about what happened in September, so there’s a sad element to it “said Illbeigi.
Still, he said he has a lot of hope that the new year will bring a better future for both his local area and all of Iran. For Nowruz, his restaurant is selling boxes of Persian cookies and giving the money to IFA Crowd Fund, a non-profit that helps people in Iran who need help.
‘My heart is very heavy
Last year, event planner Termeh Ataollahi started putting on a public market for Nowruz at North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay. There were dancers and music at the market, which made it feel like a party.
This year, though, the event had a different feel.
“The only difference is that we aren’t as happy. My heart hurts a lot, “said Ataollahi.
Instead of having performers, the organizers played music from the protest movement and asked the vendors and visitors to stand up and sing along.
“The mood was fantastic. All the people were crying, ” Ataollahi said.
Watch | Why Nowruz is being celebrated a little differently this year
There were also pictures of Iranian women who had died or gone missing.
Ataollahi said that this year, more than 10,000 people went to the public market, which was held from March 10 to 12.
“Nowruz” means “new day,” and Ataollahi said, “We want to start the new day, but we don’t want to forget our friends, family, and other Iranians who died because of this revolution.”
Pushing against the regim
More than 100 people gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday to show their support for the Iranian protesters.
Since Amini’s death, this was the 27th time that the rally had been held in Vancouver.
Demonstrators danced around the square, waving the Iranian flag and singing both in celebration and defiance.
“Today, there will be more celebrations, which is something the Islamic regime doesn’t like. They don’t like it when people are happy, so we’ll dance and fight this regime as hard as we can “Abbas Mandegar, who helped set up the rally, said.
Even though it hurts, he says, the Iranian people in Vancouver will still celebrate Nowruz because life and the fight go on.
“People are fighting to get their freedom, and they won’t give up. We will keep working for freedom and equality in Iran, and nothing will stop us “he said.
Mosatafa Saber, who was at the rally, said that the protests in Iran are a great example of Nowruz, which means “a new day” in Farsi.
“It really feels like Nowruz, a new day, and not just for us Iranians, but for everyone in the world. This revolution’s message doesn’t end at the border. It belongs to everyone in the world.”