Gallery: Nowruz 2019
By Rachel Hefner
March 11, 2019 2:11 p.m.
On Sunday, March 10th, UCLA hosted the 11th annual Nowruz celebration in honor of the Iranian New Year. Nowruz, meaning ‘’new day,’’ celebrates the arrival of spring with a Haft Sîn display filled with elements alluding to nature, fertility and rebirth.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Nargol Rashidian and her mother, Negar Estakhr, use puppets, live music, dance and decorative posters to explain the folk origins of Nowruz.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Estakhr’s puppet show demonstrates the story of how the mythical Persian king Jamshid saved mankind from the demon of dryness and ushered in a new day of prosperity.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Members of L.A. Daf Ensemble perform traditional Iranian dances which incorporate both historical Persian themes as well as modern elements.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Young members of the Djanbazian Dance Company perform a Persian folk dance called Rizbia, meaning ‘’come here a little.’’ The dance originates from the Fars region of southern Iran and embodies a playful and flirtatious attitude, said director and choreographer Rubina Vartanians.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Throughout the day, characters dressed as lions, zebras and trees walked on stilts blowing bubbles for children. In Persian and Zoroastrian mythology, the lion represents the sun and the dawning of a new year.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Kismet Hatton, a member of Robyn Friend’s Firuze Dance Company, performs a traditional Iranian folk dance.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Props are set out for kids and individuals to use during the annual Spring Walk around Dickson Court. Throughout the day, Dickson Court South entertained children with games, crafts, a photobooth and storytelling.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
This year’s Spring Walk was led for the first time by members of the UCLA marching band.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Children participate in the fifth annual Spring Walk around Dickson Court. Alireza Ardekani, executive director of the Farhang Foundation, encouraged attendees to don their brightest costumes and join in the march.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Individuals danced and clapped their way around Dickson Court during the annual Spring Walk. By participating in UCLA’s celebration, attendees join the more than 75 million people that celebrate Nowruz around the world.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Saaz o Dohol musicians, Rubik Harutyunyan and Gevorg Rostomyan, join members of Arezoo Koochakan’s L.A. Daf Ensemble in marching around Dickson Court during the Spring Walk.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
Children join in the celebration of the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring by donning colorful Persian costumes and waving flags.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
One of the stilt walkers exhibits the arrival the sprouting of new life by dressing as a tree and high-fiving Nowruz attendees.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
A little girl waves a colorful pom while resting atop her father’s shoulders. The cultural impact of Nowruz serves to promote peace between people across regions and generations.
