Nowruz - March 13, 2024

HappyNowruz

PersianbusinessesprepareforthebustleofNowruz

HAMIDJAFARI Contributingwriter

Springisgraduallyandsteadilyarriving,and ascherryblossomsemerge,theysignifythe approachofthePersianNewYear:Nowruz.

IntheheartofCentralLonsdaleinNorth Vancouver,amidstthehustleandbustle ofpeople,Persianbusinessesandthe communitywillbereadytowelcome

Nowruz.It’sacelebrationthatcanconnect peoplefromallwalksoflife,accordingto AmirHosh,ownerofAyoub’sDryFruitsand Nuts

“Non-IranianbusinessescelebratingNowruz, weshouldembraceit,”hesaid.Hosh migratedtoCanadaabout20yearsagowith hisfamilyandstudiedbusinessatSimon FraserUniversity Theyopenedthefirst branchofthebusinessonLonsdaleAvenue in2009.

InIran,driedfruitsandnutshaveawide market,andtheseproductsareoftenusedin celebratingNowruzandwelcomingguests “WewouldtrytobringalittlebitofIranian cultureandintroduceittothecostumers,and

it’sbeensuccessful,”Hoshsaid.“Manyofour costumersarenotIranian,wetrytocreatea culturalbridge.”

CurrentlyAyoubhassevenbranchesacross B.C.,andduringNowruztheyfaceabustling time,saidHosh.Peoplewhocelebrate Nowruzwanttobuynutsanddifferentsweets fortheirparties “Wesetupahaft-seeninour storeandtrytobringapositiveattitude,offer

allthePersiangoodies,”saidHosh “More thanjustcelebratingourselves,weworkto helpotherscelebrateNowruz.”

Hebelievesthat“wecelebrateNowruz todemonstrateoursolidarityandtostay connectedtoourcultureandhistory.”

AtypicalNowruzcelebrationinvolves familiescleaningtheirhomesforthenew season,displayingdecorativeitemscalled haft-seenthatsymbolizelife,growth,and prosperity,familygatheringsinthespring, andvisitingfriends

TheancienthistoryofIran

“Inrecentyears,thebooksoftheDivanof HafezandShahnamehbyFerdowsihavebeen highlywelcomed,andtheyareoftenplaced onthehaft-seentable,”saidBahmanSahami (Nima),theownerofNima,theoldestPersian bookstoreintheVancouverarea HisNorth Vancouverstoreopenedin1992.

Heemphasizedthat“thedemandforthese booksindicatesthattheIraniandiasporainthe NorthShorehasbecomemoreinterestedinthe ancienthistoryofIrananditsculture,which hasrootsdatingbackthousandsofyears.”

NowruzoriginatedinthePersianreligionof Zoroastrianismandiscelebratedbymillions acrossvariousregions

AmutualBusinessAtmosphere Nearthebookstore,awomanbehindthe showcaseofajewelrygallerywascarefully arrangingtreasures,payingattentionto detail.

ZohrehParsaeian,themanagerofHasti Jewelry,migratedtoCanadasevenyears agoandestablishedthegalleryfiveyears agoinNorthVancouver Nearlyayearago, thegalleryrelocatedtotheheartofCentral Lonsdale

“Wesetuphaft-seentablelikeinprevious yearsduringNowruz,”shesaid.“The atmosphereofNowruzamongIranian businesshereisverysimilartowhathappens inIran.ThediasporacelebratesNowruz andaimstokeepitforthenextgeneration growingupinCanada.”

Presentingisapopulartraditionamong IranianpeopleduringNowruz,shesaid, addingthat“giventheeconomicsituation,we

AmirHosh,ownerofAyoub’sDried FruitsandNuts. HAMIDJAFARI/NSN

Nowruz Mobarak to allthose celebrating

HappyNowruz

theVancouverarea,Deshmehobservesthat celebratingNowruzoftenmeansgathering withclosefriends,keepingthespiritof Nowruzalivedespitebeingawayfromfamily. TheirsonisstudyinginGrade6atoneof WestVancouver’sschools

“Ifinditinterestingthattheschoolcelebrates NowruzandChineseNewYearalongside Christmas,Deshmehsaid.“Celebrating Nowruzatschoolhasbecomeveryimportant formyson.”

JONATHAN WILKINSON Member of Parliament, North Vancouver @JonathanWNV

ﯽﺳرﺎﻓنﺎﺑزﻪﺑسﻼﮐﺐﻟﺎﻄﻣﻪﯾِارا

: ﻪﻠﻤﺟزاﯽﻋﻮﻨﺘﻣتﺎﻋﻮﺿﻮﻣشزﻮﻣآ

ماﺮﮕﻠﺗو ﻞﯿﻤﯾا - موز ﻦﺸﯿﮑﯿﻠﭘا

ﻦﯾﻼﻧآ ﺖﯿﻨﻣا وﺪﯿﻔﻣ ﻊﺑﺎﻨﻣ - لﺎﺘﯿﺠﯾدﺖﻣﻼﺳ

HastiJewelrymanagerZohreh Parsaeian. HAMIDJAFARI/NSN

don’tanticipategoodsalesduringthedaysof Nowruz.”

InthelargerLowerMainland,approximately 80,000to90,000individualsareidentifiedas Iranian.

Nowruzcelebrationinschools BahramDeshmeh,asoftwareapplication developer,migratedfouryearsago andcurrentlyresidesintheAmbleside neighbourhoodofWestVancouverwithhis wifeandson.FortheIraniancommunityin

Hementionedthatavolunteergroupof studentshasbeenworkingoncelebrating Nowruz,andhisson“wantstoshareIranian cultureandtraditionwithhisclassmates.”

In2024,springbeginsonMarch19,8:06p.m., andatthistime,PersianNewYearwillbe celebratedbythediaspora.

IfyouhaveafriendwhocelebratesNowruz, youcancallthemandsay“EydMobarak,” whichinPersianmeans“HappyNewYear.”

HamidJafariisaVancouver-basedfreelance journalistwhowritesabouttheIranian communityinCanada,art,culture,andsocial mediatrends.HisworkfortheNorthShore NewsissupportedbyNewCanadianMedia. itshamidjafari@gmail.com

ﺎﻫ

Here’showtoringinthePersian NewYearontheNorthShore

MINAKERR-LAZENBY LocalJournalismInitiativeReporter

Thearrivalofspringmarksthearrivalofa numberofvibrantcelebrationsasNowruz, thePersianNewYear,iswelcomedlocally.

Firejumpingfestivalswereheldlastnightin NorthVancouverandWestVan,butthereare severalothereventsacrosstheNorthShore thatprovideaninterestingroutetoengage withIraniancultureenroutetoNowruz, whichisofficiallycelebratedonMarch19this yeartocoincidewiththespringequinox.

StorytimeNorthVancouver CityLibrary

Thecitylibrarypromisestoengage, educate,andentertainwithitsstorytime eventforkids,withhostssingingsongs, deliveringrhymes,andreadingbooksin FarsiandEnglish.Ahaft-seentable,atable arrangementofsevensymbolicitems,willbe ondisplayinthelobbyMarch16untilMarch 30.

Nowruzstorytime,NVCL,March16, 11a.m.to11:30a.m.

FunInFarsiattheWestVancouver MemorialLibrary

Alongsideshowcasingitsannualhaft-seen table,theWVMLwillalsobehostingFunIn FarsiStorytimeonApril6.Thefit-for-all familyeventinvitesgueststohearstories songs,andlearnnewfingerplaysandrh inbothPersianandEnglish(noprevious languageexperiencerequired).Thereis fairlyrobustselectionofbooksforboth kidsandadults,andanopportunityto getevenbetterengagedwithFarsivia theupcomingpoetrynightreadings –aseriesthatbeginsMarch14and continuesuntilJune

ThroughoutMarch,West

VancouverMemorialLibrary

ConversationsandConnections atNorthVancouverDistrict PublicLibrary

OverattheDistrictofNorthVancouver, thelibraryisinvitingguestsintoa discussionontheannualholidayvia ConversationsandConnections Theev takingplaceintheProgramRoomonthe groundflooroftheLynnValleyspace,de intothehistory,traditionsandcultural importanceofNowruz–anditcomeswi refreshments

CreateandConnectatMONOVA

TeachersfromFarsilanguageschool Roshanawillleadstorytellingandcraft sessionsfrommorninguntilmidafternoon onSunday,March24 Guestscankickback andlistentoPansiesofUncleNowruz,a traditionaltalethattalksofthesmooth transitionintospring,whilethechildren getstuckinwiththecollaborativegroup artworkprogram.

MONOVA,March24,11a.m.to2p.m.

AMEDDanceAcademyperformance atcityhall

ClassicMiddleEasterndancetakescentre stageattheCivicPlazabesideNorth VancouverCityHallmid-March,witha vibrantproductionsettobeperformedby theAMEDDanceAcademy.Thosestopping shouldalsobesuretovisitthehaft-seen tableondisplay,locatednearthe14thStreet entrancefromMarch13to31.

NorthVancouverCityHall,March22, 4p.m.to4:30p.m.

MinaKerr-LazenbyistheNorthShoreNews’ Indigenousandcivicaffairsreporter Thisreporting beatismadepossiblebytheLocalJournalism Initiative MKerrLazenby@nsnews.com

NVDPLLynnValleyBranch,March21,1:30 p.m.to2:30p.m.

SmokefillstheairabovetheNowruz firejumpingpits.