Experience Persian New Year Celebration Of Norooz In Palo Alto

From the City of Palo Alto:

March 5, 2020

The Palo Alto City Library invites the community to come celebrate the Persian New Year Celebration known as Norooz on Saturday, March 14 from 1-3 p.m. at the Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium. This free event includes fun activities and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, including performances, music, crafts, and more.

Norooz takes place each year during the vernal equinox or the start of Spring when the sun crosses the celestial equator going north. This year, Spring officially begins on March 19. People from the Balkans, to the Black Sea Basin, to Central Asia to the Middle East and here in the United States partake in this celebration every year on the first day of spring. Norooz, which means “new day,” is a time of reconciliation and neighborliness, fostering cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities. It’s usually a two-week celebration filled with parties, craft-making, street performances, fire jumping, and lots of food.

“The Library is excited to present this special celebration to the Palo Alto community as part of our ‘Celebrating Cultures Initiative,’” said Interim Library Director Gayathri Kanth. “It’s important for us to recognize the diversity of our community and the significant holidays that many in our community celebrate.”

This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Palo Alto Library. More details about the event can be found here. .

This press release was produced by the City of Palo Alto. The views expressed here are the author’s own.