Nowruz meaning 'New Day' is the traditional ancient Persian new year festival and also the start day of the Persian New Year.
Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian peoples and the related cultural continent (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) and has spread in many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia, South Asia, Northwestern China, the Crimea and some ethnic groups in Albania, Bosnia, Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia.
Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar. Nowruz was originally a Zoroasterian festival. The term Nowruz in writing, first appeared in Persian records in the second century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 648-330 BC), where kings from different nations under the Persian empire used to bring gifts to the emperor also called King of Kings of Persia on Nowruz.
The UN's General Assembly in 2010 recognized the International Day of Nowruz, describing it a spring festival of Persian origin, which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. (more)
We are celebrating Nowruz at 2:32 pm (ADT) on Saturday March 20, 2010 in Halifax. We will gather and lay flowers on a tree planted in Victoria Park dedicated to people for people who sacrificed their lives to their love, and their love to freedom in Iran.
Radio Payam has special program for Nowruz on Sunday March 21 from 10:30 am – 2 pm broadcasted live form CKDU FM 88.1. Our guests for this special program are:
- Joan Jessome, President of Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union (NSGEU)
- Kyle Buott, President of the Halifax-Dartmouth and District Labour Council (HDDLC)
- Tony Tracy, Atlantic Regional Representative for the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
- Message from Premier Darrell Dexter
- Mayor Peter Kelly
- Live with Radio Hamseda from Ottawa
- Master Saeed Froughi
- and many more with lots of music
Happy Nowruz to all of you!
Amir on behalf of United Iranian-Canadian Society (UICS), Radio Payam
