Persian New Year Marked With Grief Amid Iran Unrest

Iranian Americans across the country are observing Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with subdued celebrations this year following deadly government crackdowns on protesters in Iran. Many communities have canceled traditional festivities or replaced them with vigils and memorial services. The holiday, which coincides with the spring equinox, is being used as a way to honor victims while preserving cultural traditions.

Following the deaths of thousands of Iranian protesters during a government crackdown in January, Iranian Americans nationwide are observing their cherished spring celebration with heavy hearts this year.

Shima Razavi Gacek, a 46-year-old Los Angeles woman, chose not to host her usual Nowruz house party with its traditional large bonfire. Instead, she coordinated a memorial gathering at a neighborhood park Tuesday evening, where photographs of killed demonstrators were on display and dozens of community members lit candles while participating in a modified version of Chaharshanbe Suri, the customary fire-jumping ritual using small tea lights.

“It is such a beautiful and joyous time of year,” expressed Razavi Gacek, who has called the United States home since age 5. “This year, it’s not, but we need our community more than ever.”

Across the nation, Iranian American communities are observing Nowruz through a combination of mournful remembrances and traditional elements like flowers, music and dancing. Numerous groups have called off their planned celebrations in response to January’s violent suppression of protesters, while others have arranged more intimate, subdued versions of what is typically an exuberant festival.

This year’s observance occurs less than a month following attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Regional conflict has expanded since that time.

The term Nowruz translates to “new day” in Farsi, Iran’s primary language. This celebration, which aligns with the spring equinox, has its origins in ancient Zoroastrian customs spanning thousands of years and extends from Afghanistan through Turkey. Iranians from various religious backgrounds observe Nowruz despite occasional discouragement from Iran’s strict government.

The holiday is also widely celebrated throughout the United States, particularly in Los Angeles, where nearly one-third of America’s 750,000 Iranian Americans reside, and in Nashville, Tennessee, which hosts the nation’s largest Kurdish population.

Numerous communities have called off scheduled Nowruz gatherings and activities following Iran’s violent suppression of protests.

In New York, a group of senior Iranian American women decided against their usual celebration, typically held at a suburban shopping center 25 miles from Manhattan.

“People are not in the mood to celebrate the New Year,” explained Marjan Khalili, who leads the Long Island Ladies Association. “That’s what Nowruz is — we welcome the New Year, and now we really don’t have much to welcome, you know?”

Shani Moslehi, who heads the Orange County Iranian American Chamber of Commerce in Southern California, said her organization abandoned plans for their yearly celebration and instead partnered with a mental health facility to offer assistance to community members struggling with war-related stress and their inability to contact relatives in Iran.

“Everyone I hear from is not doing well,” Moslehi stated. “The dancing and singing lasted a day, and people realized just killing that one guy is not going to solve the problem.”

Several community groups decided to continue Nowruz customs but modified them to reflect current circumstances.

At New York University, the student-led Persian Cultural Society organized a memorial service featuring speeches and poetry instead of their typical Nowruz festivities, requesting participants wear black clothing rather than the bright colors usually associated with the holiday.

In Los Angeles, planners canceled an outdoor festival that normally attracts thousands, replacing it with a concert called “Light Always Prevails.” The event featured an Iranian female singer who was prohibited from performing after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and an Iranian-American artist singing in Persian for the first time, according to Shahab Paranj, who serves as artistic director for the Iranshahr Orchestra.

Celebrating Nowruz now serves as an act of resistance against the Islamic government, according to Hedi Yousefi, who organized a Norooz Bazaar in Manhattan featuring vendors and artists, along with a memorial display listing approximately 3,000 individuals killed in January.

“They want us to be quiet. They want us to shut up and don’t talk and celebrate,” she stated. “But we have to talk about our culture, we have to keep our tradition alive.”

In the Nashville region, where local Kurdish residents come from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, organizers are preparing an event designed to demonstrate support for people throughout the conflict-affected area.

“It’s not going to be a grief celebration or a sad celebration,” said Tabeer Taabur, who heads the Tennessee Kurdish Community Council.

At the Los Angeles park, dozens of attendees shared meals at picnic tables draped with white linens and decorated with displays of sprouts, fruit and flowers. Participants took turns leaping over small fires burning in containers to mark the year’s transition.

Mojan Gabbay, age 50, placed a candle at the memorial table honoring Iranian protesters, then crossed the patio to jump over an aluminum container filled with burning bark, smiling afterward. She mentioned that while she doesn’t typically observe Chaharshanbe Suri, she felt compelled this year to maintain the tradition for her two children.

“I wanted my kids to know where their roots are from and everything that’s going on has really touched our hearts,” Gabbay said, fighting back tears. “These are your people and when you hear their pain and when you see their suffering, you feel it.”