Nowruz - Persian New Year's Festival

Hi YPIAers:

Meeting place / Attendance check/guide in: TBD

Group Event time: 2:30 - 4:30ish after performance.

Post event cafe discussion/light discussions (unless attendees request serious ones 2 weeks in advance): Meet nearby at SAAM/Smithsonian American Art Museum.

You can bring your own drink in a bottle to sAAM or purchase from the cafe.

Please wear comfortable shoes, as we'll walk a few blocks away.

Please pay your $10 annual dues - meetup fees, special events, Happy Hour reservations. Pay online at: http://www.meetup.com/ypiadc/dues/

To pay your annual $10 in person if need be, please place in an envelope with your name on it. as we denote our members by " '13" to show who's paid for special events or bumping up on the waiting list.

Anjel's cell for texting - late arrivals, lost, etc..:[masked], indicate your name on text.

I look forward to seeing you,

Anjel

Co-Organizer

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From the Sackler Website.... http://www.asia.si.edu/events/allevents.asp?trumbaEmbed=date%3D20130316

Nowruz: A Persian New Year Celebration

(Saturday, March 16, 11 am – 5 pm)

A festive day awaits at our fifth annual Nowruz (Persian New Year) celebration. The festival coincides with the US debut of one of the world’s most iconic objects, the Cyrus Cylinder. Often referred to as the first “declaration of human rights,” the Cylinder is on loan to the Sackler from the British Museum.

The Nowruz celebration features entertaining and exciting programs for all ages—including “Haft Sin” table displays, "fire" jumping, a Nowruz…
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Persian Music for Nowruz: Mamak Khadem, vocals, with Sahba Motalebi, tar and sehtar

**Saturday, March 16, 4 pm
Vocalist Mamak Khadem returns with her latest innovative project, an all-female ensemble on traditional Persian instruments, including rising young star Sahba Motallebi on tar, sehtar, and shourangiz. They are joined by Sofia Labropoulou, Polly Ferber, and Parvaneh Daneshvar on percussion, tar, and qanun. The ensemble made its debut last year at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

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From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz

Nowruz

For other uses, see Nowruz (disambiguation) (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Nowruz_(disambiguation)). Nowrūz
نوروز Also called Also spelled Nouruz, Norouz, Norooz, Narooz, Nawru, Nauruz, Nawroz, Noruz, Nohrooz, Novruz, Nauroz, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nowroj, Navroj, Nevruz, Наврӯз, Newroz, Navruz, Navrez, Nooruz, Nauryz, Nevruz, Nowrouz, ნავრუზი (Georgian), नवरेह (Kashmiri), નવરોઝ (Parsi Gujarati) Observed by Iran (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iran)
Afghanistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Afghanistan)
Albania (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Albania)[1]
Armenia (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Armenia)[2]
Azerbaijan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Azerbaijan)
Georgia (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Georgia_(country))
Kazakhstan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Kazakhstan)
Kosovo (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Republic_of_Kosovo)
Kyrgyzstan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Kyrgyzstan)
Kurdistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iraqi_Kurdistan)
Iraq (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iraq)[3]
Syria (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Syria)[4]
Tajikistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Tajikistan)
Turkey (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Turkey)[5]
Turkmenistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Turkmenistan)[6]
Uzbekistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Uzbekistan)[7]
ethnic and religious groups worldwide: Kurdish diaspora (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Kurdish_diaspora)
Zoroastrians (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Zoroastrianism), Sufis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Sufism), Ismailis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Ismailism), Alevis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Alevi), Alawites (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Alawi), Babis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/B%C3%A1bism), Bahá'ís (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Faith) and the Iranian diaspora (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iranian_citizens_abroad). Also observed unofficially in Bosnia (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina), Caucasus (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Caucasus), Crimea (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Crimea), India (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/India), Macedonia (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Republic_of_Macedonia), Pakistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Pakistan), Serbia (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Serbia), and among Uyghurs (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Uyghur_people) and Salars (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Salar_people) of China (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/China). Significance New year holiday Date March 20, 21 or[masked] date Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 05:14 UTC * (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Equinox) Celebrations The Haftsin (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Haft_sin_table) setting, Chahârshanbe Sûrî (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Chaharshanbe_Suri), Sizdah Bedar (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Sizdah_Bedar), etc. Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz, Nevruz * Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Masterpieces_of_the_Oral_and_Intangible_Heritage_of_Humanity) Country (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Table_of_World_Heritage_Sites_by_country) Azerbaijan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Azerbaijan), India (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/India), Iran (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iran), Kyrgyzstan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Kyrgyzstan), Pakistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Pakistan), Turkey (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Turkey), Uzbekistan (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Uzbekistan) Reference 282 (http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/00282) Region ** Asia and Australasia Inscription history Inscription 2009 * Name as inscribed by UNESCO (http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich)
** Region as classified by UNESCO (http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich)

Nowrūz (Persian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Persian_language): نوروز, IPA: [nouˈɾuːz] (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Persian), meaning "[The] New Day") is the name of the Iranian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iranian_peoples)/Persian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Persian_people) New Year (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/New_Year)[8] in Iranian calendars (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iranian_calendars) and the corresponding traditional celebrations (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Festivals).[9] Nowruz is also widely referred to as the "Persian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Persian_people) New Year".[10][11][12][13]

Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian peoples (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iranian_peoples) and the related cultural continent (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Greater_Iran) and has spread in many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Central_Asia), Caucasus (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Caucasus), South Asia (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/South_Asia), Northwestern China (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Xinjiang), the Crimea (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Crimea) and some groups in the Balkans (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Balkans).

Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iranian_calendar). It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical Northward equinox (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Northward_equinox), which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. As well as being a Zoroastrian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Zoroastrian) holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians, the same time is celebrated in parts of the South Asian sub-continent as the new year. The moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Celestial_equator) and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and Iranian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Iranian_people) families gather together to observe the rituals.

Originally being a Zoroastrian festival (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Zoroastrian_festivals), and the holiest of them all, Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Zoroaster) himself, although there is no clear date of origin.[14] Since the Achaemenid era (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire) the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Sun) leaves the zodiac (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Zodiac) of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox. Nowruz is also a holy day for Sufis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Sufism), Ismailis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Ismailism), Alawites (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Alawi),[15] Alevis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Alevi), Babis (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/B%C3%A1bism) and adherents of the Bahá'í Faith (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Faith).[16]

The term Nowruz in writing, first appeared in Persian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/History_of_Iran) records in the 2nd century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Achaemenid_dynasty) c. 548–330 BC), where kings from different nations under the Persian empire (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Persian_empire) used to bring gifts to the Emperor, also called King of Kings (Shahanshah (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Shahanshah)), of Persia on Nowruz. The significance of Nowruz in the Achaemenid empire was such that the great Persian king Cambyses II (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Cambyses_II)'s appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the New Year festival (Nowruz).[17]

The UN's General Assembly (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly) in 2010 recognized the International Day of Nowruz, describing it a spring festival of Persian (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Persian_people) origin which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.[18][19] During the meeting of The Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage of the United Nations (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/United_Nations), held between 28 September – 2 October 2009 in Abu Dhabi (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/Abu_Dhabi), Nowrūz was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (http://www.meetup.com/wiki/UNESCO_Intangible_Cultural_Heritage_Lists).[20][21][22][23]