Dallas-area Iranian Episcopalians to observe Nowruz, the Persian new year
The haft-sin table is prepared for a Nowruz reception at the White House. The table contains seven items that begin with the letter “sin,” and symbolize life, health and renewal. The holiday has its roots in Zoroastrianism and celebrates rebirth and renewal that accompany spring and the new year, which begins on the vernal equinox. March 20, 2023. Photo: Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/AP
[Episcopal News Service] Grace Community Episcopal Church, a Farsi-speaking church plant of the Diocese of Dallas in Plano, Texas, will host a public Nowruz celebration March 23 with fellowship, food, live music and dancing.
Nowruz, the Persian new year meaning “new day” in Farsi, begins the moment of the Northern Hemisphere’s vernal equinox, marking the arrival of spring in and the rebirth of nature. It is the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Solar Hijri calendar, Iran’s official calendar. This year, Nowruz began today, March 20, at 4:01 a.m. Eastern, marking the year 1403 on the Solar Hijri calendar.
“Nowruz always falls during Lent, and you don’t want to get too much away from its message, but you can use this time to reflect on the message of renewal and hope for people,” the Rev. Samira Izadi Page, vicar of Grace Community, told Episcopal News Service.
Page, a native of Shiraz, Iran, is also the rector of the Church of the Holy Nativity in Plano, which houses Grace Community, and the founder and executive director of Gateway of Grace, a Dallas-based refugee assistance ministry.
Formed in 2016 as an informal weekly prayer group, Grace Community is now believed to be the only Farsi-speaking Episcopal church. The growing congregation of 150 gathers every Sunday afternoon at the Church of the Holy Nativity for worship, lunch and Bible study. Most of the 150 congregants are refugees from Iran. The congregation’s growth reflects the growing Iranian American population in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area – at least 30,000.
Members of Grace Community Episcopal Church, a Farsi-speaking church plant of the Diocese of Dallas in Plano, Texas, set up a half-sin table in preparation for Nowruz festivities. Nowruz is the Persian new year. Most Grace Community congregants are Iranian. Photo: Samira Izadi Page
Yashgin, her last name is withheld at her request, told ENS that Grace Community is “like family.”
“I always feel God’s presence here … everyone is taking their time to serve people who are in need of help, and they give spiritual and mental support. They’re always inspiring me,” said Yashgin, who is from Iran.
Yashgin and other volunteers this week have been preparing for Sunday’s Nowruz festivities. They are cooking traditional new year dishes, such as sabzi polo ba mahi (herbed rice with fish), ash-e-reshteh (noodle soup) and kuku sabzi (herbed frittata).
The volunteers also set up a half-sin – Farsi for “seven Ss” – a table adorned with seven symbolic objects that begin with the letter س – S in Farsi:
- Sabzeh – green sprouts, representing rebirth
- Samanu – sweet, germinated wheat pudding, representing bravery, power and strength
- Seeb – apple, representing beauty
- Seer – garlic, representing health and medicine
- Senjed – dried oleaster fruit, representing love
- Serkeh – vinegar, representing old age and patience
- Somāq – sumac, representing sunrise
Other added objects that start with the letter “sin” – pronounced “seen” – include “saat” (clock), representing time, “sekkeh” (coins), representing wealth and prosperity, and “sonbol” (hyacinth), representing spring’s arrival. Common half-sin objects that don’t start with the letter “sin” include a mirror for self-reflection, candles for enlightenment, goldfish for progress and a “book of wisdom,” such as a holy book, the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi or the Divān of Hafez. Hand-painted eggs, symbolizing fertility and new life, are also included on half-sin spreads, and may have inspired Easter’s egg decorating tradition.
“The message of starting afresh aligns perfectly with the church’s message of hope and transformation, which reminds all of us that, like the blooming of nature after a harsh winter, renewal and healing are possible even after seasonal struggle,” Page said. “That sense of rootedness – in the renewal of creation – the holistic way of looking at life is so dear to us as Persians and as Christians, and we can transmit that experience and reinforce God’s grace.”
Dating back more than 3,000 years old, Nowruz is rooted in Zoroastrianism, the oldest known extant monotheistic religion that’s based on its core tenet, “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.” Formed at least 800 years prior by Zarathushtra Spitama – more commonly known as Zoroaster, Zarathustra or Zartosht – Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in the Persian Empire until the Arab conquest in the seventh century C.E. The ancient religion’s holy book is the Avesta.
Even though modern-day Iran is a predominantly Shiite Muslim nation, Nowruz is the country’s largest public holiday and a symbol of cultural pride for Iranians worldwide. It is also a public holiday in countries that were part of the Persian Empire, including Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Today, about 300 million people of different faiths celebrate Nowruz, including Kurds and other Iranic ethnic groups, and the Persian new year is a holy day for Zoroastrians, Bahá’ís and Ismaili Shia Muslims.
The United Nations officially recognizes March 21 as “International Day of Nowruz,” and the holiday is recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2008, former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush hosted the first Nowruz celebration at the White House with a haft-sin in the State Dining Room. Since then, every U.S. president has sent an official presidential message observing Nowruz. President Donald Trump’s message, posted March 19, is here.
Dallas Bishop George R. Sumner gives a Nowruz blessing to Grace Community every year.
Nowruz is rich in traditions centering around spring, including “khooneh tekouni,” or “shaking the house,” when families deep clean their homes before the new year begins. This practice is commonly known today as spring cleaning. Once the house is clean, families typically decorate their homes with greenery and fresh flowers; hyacinths, pussy willows and tulips are especially popular.
“I love that family members spend time together to enjoy Nowruz’s beauty,” Yashgin said. “God has created this world and gives new life to the world by bringing his spirit into everything. Nowruz reminds me that God can restore hope and renew and refresh the nature around us.”
Nowruz festivities begin on the last Tuesday of the year, this year March 18, with the Charshanbe Suri fire festival, when participants jump over bonfires three times while chanting “zardi-ye man az toh, sorkhi-ye toh az man” – “my yellow is yours, your red is mine,” meaning jumpers are giving yellow pallor from winter, illness and issues to the fire in exchange for the fire’s energy and warmth.
Nowruz celebrations will continue for 13 additional days, concluding this year on April 2. On the 13th day, the Sizdebedar – “getting rid of 13” – families will picnic outside and enjoy nature together. Grace Community will celebrate the Sizdebedar at a nearby nature preserve.
“The joy of Nowruz and the spring season is something to be shared by all,” Page said.
-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.
