Happy Nowruz!

Happy Nowruz to all who celebrate and observe the new year that comes with the arrival of spring!

Nowruz feels different to many people this time around as we reflect on the last year of pain, outrage, and yearning with so many of our home cities, our people, and our families living under constant threat.

In 1402, we dare open our hearts to a year hopefully filled with the justice, liberation, transformation, and levity that we all desperately need.

In Iran, for the first thirteen days of the solar year, per tradition, those who celebrate Nowruz make an effort to see everyone they know. In Farsi, this tradition is called Deed of Baz Deed or Eid Didani.

We look forward to seeing our beloved Gordon House community over the next two weeks at all the various programs to welcome the season of light and new growth.

Nowruz, spelled in a variety of ways including Nauruz, Nevroz, and Norooz, has roots in Zoroastrianism and is celebrated by over 300 million people of different religions and cultures along the Silk Road and around the world.

In some places, governments like the Taliban have banned or heavily discouraged Norwruz celebrations. For many folx, taking part in these ancient traditions is an act of resistance and unity.

If you’d like to learn more about Nowruz celebrations, this post is a great place to start: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqDiUTruBqX/?hl=en

All the best,

Mash Salehomoum
Co-Chair, Community Advisory Board
Gordon Neighbourhood House