Celebrate Nowruz, A Persian New Year Celebration

Date: 

Tuesday, March 20, 2018 (All day)

Location: 

Semitic Museum, 6 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year and the beginning of spring, with poetry, music, traditional sweets, and an exploration of the traditional Haft Seen table. More than 3,000 years old, Nowruz (“new day”) originated in ancient Persia and became a popular celebration in communities influenced by Persian culture, including Iran, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Western China. Drop in for a presentation of Nowruz customs and activities and help build community for 1397, the new year in the Persian calendar. This event is free and we request your advanced reservation by March 16 here. Presented by Harvard Semitic Museum in collaboration with the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Harvard GSAS Iranian Student Association, the Harvard College Iranian Association, and the Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program, Harvard University. Free event parking at 52 Oxford Street Garage. For more information, please call 617-495-4055   Pluralism Project Summary: On a blustery day in late March 2018 the Harvard community came together at the Semitic Museum to celebrate Nowruz, a New Year festival celebrated in Iran and communities of Persian descent throughout the world. The event was hosted by the Harvard GSAS Iranian Student Association, the Harvard College Iranian Association, and the Harvard Semitic Museum. A man greeted people at the door and prompted them to jump over a fake fire made of yellow and orange fabric. He explained that this and many other Nowruz rituals have Zoroastrian origins. Once inside attendees headed to the museum’s third floor where they were greeted by refreshments and a haft-seen table, a table laden with symbolic objects. At six pm, a half-hour into the event, one of the event organizers gave a brief lecture on the history of Nowruz and the symbolic significance of a few of the objects traditionally placed on the haft-seen table. After the organizer’s speech a musician played Persian music while attendees ate and mingled for the duration of the event. This summary was written by a Pluralism Project staff member who attended the event.