Hilda Tajalli said the Persian new year celebration of Nowruz is like Christmas for many Iranian-Americans like herself because they get money or gifts.
But for Tajalli, who grew up in the Persian Cultural Society that her parents started in Greensboro, Nowruz means so much more than that.
Together with Sophie Mohajerani, her co-president of UNC’s Persian Cultural Society, Tajalli has planned UNC’s own Nowruz celebration. The festivities — which include dance performances, poetry readings and a kabob dinner — will take place tonight.
There will also be a traditional Haft-Seen — a table usually decorated with seven symbolic items all beginning with the letter ‘s.’
“When the time changes — the year changes — you’re supposed to sit around the table with your family, and everybody kisses each other,” Tajalli said. “You’re supposed to drink a certain type of juice that cleanses your body and prepares yourself for the new year. There’s a lot of symbolism between the start of new year’s and the end of new year’s.”
Although Nowruz has a lot to do with ancient Zoroastrian beliefs, some of which are still practiced in Iran today, Tajalli said the celebration is more of a cultural event than a religious one.
“We call ourselves Persian because we go back to Persian culture,” she said. “People in Kazakhstan, India and Iran, even in Dublin, celebrate Nowruz because people that are coming from Iranian descent are all over the world.”
Shahla Adel, Asian studies professor and sponsor of the Persian Cultural Society, said Nowruz — also called “new day” — always begins on the first day of spring in harmony with the rebirth of nature.
“It just brings so much joy and happiness to people," Adel said. "Even this year, a celebration was conducted at the White House by the First Lady.”
