The Persian culture celebrates its New Year’s Day with the beginning of spring. The day falls on the same day as the vernal equinox, marked on March 19 this year. This day is called “Nowruz,” which is a compound of “now” and “ruz,” meaning “a new day.”
On March 19, there was a Nowruz celebration in La Jolla hosted by Elnaz Iraj, a board director of the La Jolla Merchant Association. Iraj moved to the U.S. almost 18 years ago and was elected as a board member this year.
“Being Persian/American, I would love to embrace American culture while also maintaining the culture I grew up with. My favorite holiday is Nowruz, and I have been celebrating it every year since I came to the U.S.,” said Iraj.
The celebration took place at the La Jolla Cove rooftop, where participants could enjoy the magnificent panoramic view of La Jolla until sunset. A food spread of Persian delicacies and cultural experiences such as paintings and Haft Seen displays (a traditional table setting for Nowruz) were offered.
“The meat was very traditional. A good amount of Persian cuisine is stew-based, and it’s hard to have a lot of serving pots of all different stews here. They kept it simple, which I think was the appropriate way to go for this, trying to get some finger foods and stuff,” said Matthew Nadji, one of the participants.
“There’s a big spread of fruits and nuts with. This is common in Persian culture. If you go to any Persian person’s house, there’s going to be fruit and nuts waiting for you,” added Nadji.
Nadji didn’t know much about the culture even though his father is from Iran because he was born and raised in the U.S. and wanted to study his roots.
“My dad didn’t raise me in the tradition. He didn’t teach me the language or the culture. As I got older, I started to independently research my culture and history,” he said. Joining the event was one of the ways for him to get in touch with his culture.
Live entertainment including a traditional dance, a fashion show with folk costumes, and a santoor (hammered dulcimer of Iranian origins) performance also perked up the celebration.
“The dance that we performed was from Iran. It’s one of the most popular songs, so most people are familiar with the lyrics. It’s considered a folk song,” said Ila Darafshandar from Ila Dance Academy, who performed traditional dance. “We dance all kinds like Baijani, Kurdish, and different types of Middle Eastern Dances,” she added.
People from different cities and countries enjoyed the evening together. Some celebrated their traditions with their loved ones, while others simply got caught up in the festivity. Traditional snacks and tea were constantly provided.
“We’re visiting the city. The New Year is a very important time for us Iranians, and we want to celebrate it. We Googled to see if there are any events in San Diego,” said Leila and Ash from Connecticut.
Iraj planned the event to share a special and beautiful way of celebrating Nowruz with people who are not familiar with Persian culture. She also emphasized that this year’s event was just the beginning. “We are planning to keep this tradition and have Nowruz in La Jolla every year. For the first year, it went great and I’m sure it will be much better next year. We’ll continue to make even greater strides and celebrate our culture with even more enthusiasm and pride,” noted Iraj.
With the celebration, Mayor Todd Gloria and Council President Pro Tem Joe La Cava have proclaimed March 19, 2024, as Nowruz in the City of San Diego, marking a historic moment for the Persian community.
Nowruz has a long history of 3000 years, and the day was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. Nowruz is celebrated in various countries in the region of the former Persian empire, including Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Northern Iraq, and more.
