‘The Grief was Growing Heavier’: Why OC’s Iranian Community is Pausing Its Nowruz Celebrations
- Shiraz Nicpon
- 35 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Protests, state brutality and war have put ancient, annual springtime celebrations on hold.
Two major Iranian American organizations based in Orange County have canceled their Nowruz new year’s events due to the ongoing war and protests in Iran.
The International Society for Children with Cancer and the Orange County Iranian American Chamber of Commerce (OCIACC) sent out press releases on their social media, each expressing sadness for what is happening in Iran and wanting to respect the Iranians who are suffering.
Shani Moslehi, the chief executive officer of the OCIACC, said the chamber initially wanted to hold an event and bring attention to the suffering and human rights crisis happening in Iran. Moslehi said as the number of lives lost grew, the board felt the grief was growing heavier and more personal and decided to cancel the event.
“Pausing the event was not about abandoning Nowruz. It was about standing in solidarity with those who are paying the highest price,” Moslehi said.
The International Society for Children with Cancer was originally going to host a market with Iranian goods for people to buy for Nowruz, and a festival with music, dancing and workshops for kids to learn more about the history and culture of Nowruz.
Similarly, the OCIACC’s event was planning live music and vendors selling handmade goods, food and desserts.
Protests broke out in Tehran on Dec. 28 because of heavy economic unrest within Iran. The protests have spread across Iran and turned into an anti-government movement. The government shut down the internet on Jan. 8, and the police and other security forces in Iran have reportedly beaten and killed thousands of people. And then U.S. and Israeli missiles started falling on Iran on Feb. 28 in Operation Epic Fury, and haven’t ceased since.
SIDEBAR: WHAT IS NOWRUZ?
Nowruz, the Persian New Year marking the beginning of spring, dates back to at least the sixth century B.C. and is rooted in the ancient Zoroastrian traditions of Persia, one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions.
Preparation for Nowruz includes buying new clothes to wear on the new year, cleaning the house and setting the haftseen table. The haftseen is a spread of seven items that start with the letter “sin” in Farsi, which represents renewal and spring. The seven items include sprouted wheat grass for rebirth and growth, sweet wheat pudding for power and strength, sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree for love, somāq (sumac) for hope, vinegar for age and patience, apple for beauty and garlic for health. Other items such as hyacinth, a mirror, eggs, candles, poetry books and a goldfish are also placed on the table.
The celebration begins with Charshanbe Soori, or the Persian Festival of Fire, which falls on the night of the Wednesday before Nowruz. It’s celebrated by jumping over fires, which symbolizes leaving bad luck in the old year. While jumping over the fire, people say “sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to” which roughly translates to “my yellowness is yours, your redness is mine.” This means as you jump over the fire, you give up your yellow, which symbolizes sickness and bad luck, and the fire gives you red, which symbolizes warmth and a bright future in the new year.
Then on the first day of spring, which this year falls on March 20 at 7:46 a.m. in California, families will celebrate the new year by praying and manifesting good thoughts for the new year, eating food and sweets and visiting family and friends. Traditional food dishes families make are herb rice with fish, called sabzi polo mahi, which is often served with tahdig, crispy rice. Other foods include an herb frittata called kuku sabzi. It’s also typical for the older generation to gift money to the youth for the new year.
A Large Persian Population
Three in 10 Iranian Americans, or 230,000, live in and around Los Angeles, including Orange County, making it the largest population of Iranian Americans in the United States. Thus, the war in Iran is weighing heavily on Orange County residents.
Sara Barekat, who immigrated to the United States in the 1980s from Iran, was not able to get a hold of her family when the internet was shut down.
“I was making almost 150 calls a day to my family trying to get through,” she said.
Barekat’s family has been able to get some access to connect, but Barekat said it has still been very difficult to communicate.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency has confirmed the deaths of 6,506 protesters. Over 11,700 additional reported deaths have not yet been confirmed. And reports indicate that more than 1,300 to 1,900 people have been killed in Iran following the start of the U.S.-Israeli strikes, including over 170 at an all-girls’ school.
Susan Shahidi, the executive director of the International Society for Children with Cancer, said the board did not think it was appropriate this year to hold a big event with the number of people injured and lives lost in the protests and war. She noted this event was not just a bazaar to buy goods for Nowruz, but after 17 years, has become a community event that brings Iranian culture to the forefront, as well as showcasing the importance of Nowruz to the younger generation.
“I think in times of hardship it is important to demonstrate our solidarity with those in distress,” Shahidi said.
Naseem Nowroozi, a first-generation Iranian American, was shocked and saddened to hear about the Nowruz events being called off, saying, “Despite everything going on, our culture is still strong, and these traditions are very important.” When asked about how she felt about the protests in Iran, Nowroozi expressed feeling the guilt and privilege of living in the United States while there are young adults her age in Iran fighting for their freedom.
Barekat was proud of the organizations for canceling their Nowruz events, as she thinks it was the right thing to do. She added that she felt a celebration is not appropriate right now.
Uncertainty and Tumult in Iran
Student-run protests spread across Iran as universities reopened in early February, following a period when many were closed due to cold weather conditions, according to BBC News. Some Iranian protesters have chanted for Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former king, to come to power, as documented on social media.
“What I want is what the people want in Iran,” Barekat said. “They want democracy, to be able to vote, and freedom. They are the ones who have paid the price all of these years. The ones who paid with their lives have said what they wanted. So that's why when they were chanting ‘Reza Pahlavi.’ I was chanting ‘Reza Pahlavi.’”
On top of regime repression, Iranians are now facing military invasion. Within the past 14 days of war, airstrikes have hit stadiums, movie theaters, courthouses, schools and houses. One airstrike hit an oil depot, which has spread polluted smoke across Tehran, even making the rain contaminated with oil.
Nowroozi mentioned a conversation she had with her dad, where he told her that the people of Iran are so desperate that if anyone tosses a rope, they are going to hold onto that rope. With the war going on, she is disappointed that the United States is getting involved in the Middle East yet again, especially being an Iranian American.
“I don’t know. I feel gaslit every day and don’t know how to feel. Watching so many of (Iranian Americans) cheer on the bombs, Trump and Zionist chuck propaganda is actually making my skin crawl as the days pass,” Nowroozi said.
President Donald Trump and Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, had a meeting in Geneva on Feb. 27 over Iran’s nuclear program. Trump told reporters that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons and that he is not happy with how negotiations are going, according to Reuters.
Iran has denied seeking to make nuclear weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian use.
Just a day later, on Feb. 28, the United States and Israel sent missiles into Iran, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since been selected as supreme leader by Iran’s Assembly of Experts.
U.S. government officials stated that Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of the world’s oil. Iran has shut down the strait, which has already caused gas prices to spike and spread doubts in the global economy.
Barekat’s family in Iran told her over the phone that they are afraid of everything right now, from sounds to leaving the house. Barekat said some Iranians are protesting for war, but she heard from her own family that they are afraid of war.
“Nowruz has survived centuries, wars, invasions, revolutions and political upheaval,” Moslehi said. “It has outlived empires and regimes. It arrives at the most beautiful time of year, the beginning of spring, when nature reminds us that even after the harshest winter, life returns. That symbolism is powerful for us right now.”
The Show Goes On
The Orange County Iranian American Chamber of Commerce will be part of the Nowruz programming at Irvine Valley College and will also bring a traditional haftseen to Pretend City Children’s Museum on March 21. In addition to its Nowruz event, OCIACC is hosting an emotional regulation workshop with the Norooz Clinic Foundation on March 26 from 6-8 p.m.
Pacific Symphony, in partnership with the Farhang Foundation, is still presenting its annual concert to celebrate Nowruz at 8 p.m. on April 4. This year's performance, “Nowruz, Echoes of Freedom,” is meant to honor the voices of Iranians and create a space for the audience to reflect, heal and connect through music, according to Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ website. Lead by Carl St.Clair, performancer will include Shardad Rohani, Babak Amini, Cameron Shahbazi, Sara Hamidi, Tara Ghassemieh and Vitor Luiz. Tickets are still available for purchase.
