IRVINE – An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people celebrated the Persian New Year during the fourth annual Nowruz festival at Bill Barber Memorial Park’s rose garden, an organizer said.
The festival on Sunday, March 26, featured live entertainment, music, dancing and Persian food, as well as complimentary tea and pastry. There were also children’s games, a backgammon tournament and booths by community organizations.
Nowruz, or “new day” in Persian, marks the first day of the first month in the Iranian calendar.
“It’s the most beloved holiday and nonreligious,” said Shiva Farivar, festival director of the Iranian American Community Group of Orange County, which hosted the event. “It celebrates the onset of spring and new life.”
Persians typically celebrate Nowruz by gathering around a tabletop called haftseen with an arrangement of seven items that symbolize life in various ways, Farivar said.
Contact the writer: tshimura@scng.com
