The Persian Culture Club held its first Nowruz Celebration on March 18. There was a variety of food, games and music to commemorate the event on the Great Lawn.
Nowruz, meaning “New Day” in Persian, marks the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, also known as the vernal equinox. It is a 13-day celebration by over 300 million people worldwide.
Oak Park High School’s Persian Club dedicated months to preparing for this celebration.
“Two months prior, we created a Google doc titled with the foods and the activities,” vice president and junior Hilda Dehdilani said. “Everyone in the club contributed and brought a few items to the event”.
At the center of the event was a Haft-Sin, a traditional table setting featuring seven symbolic items starting with the letter ‘S’ (Sin) in the Persian alphabet. It represents renewal, nature and health.
“I’m really proud of everyone for participating and all of the people who made this happen,” president and senior Raha Sajjadi said.
The club also set up a memorial to recognize the civilian lives lost in Iran.
“The memoriam is a beautiful tribute for everyone who passed away in the recent events,” Secretary Arad Alirezai said.
