The New Year

This past weekend, the first weekend of spring, I was lucky enough to go to Northern Virginia to celebrate the New 1389 Year! This New Year is based on the Persian calendar, which coincides with the Muslim New Year (March 22 and 23). The New Year was welcomed in warm weather, which let me tell you after the strange snowy weather we’ve had this winter, was very much a plus. The first day of spring was beautiful; sunny, with a cool breeze and everyone was in a merry mood. Unlike the typical new year, Persian new year is not celebrated until about 1:30 in the afternoon, which means there is more time in the day to accomplish things. We started our day by wearing something new. It is tradition in Iran to wear new clothes for the new year, which includes new pants, shirts, skirts, socks and even underwear. After breakfast, the family makes preparations to eat lunch (typically fried fish) and bring in the new year with visiting relatives. The whole day is spent going from house to house, congratulating one another on the new year. Not only did I get to spend a weekend in NoVA, but I also ate delicious Persian food and got money (the money that you get for the New Year you aren’t supposed to spend for a whole year because that way, it will bring you more money in that year). All in all I had a wonderful time; I got to experience another culture through celebrating a major holiday and it was a nice break from school.

Sabina Abdullayeva ’11