Celebrating the Iranian New Year

A traditional haftseen table for the celebration of the Iranian New Year consists of seven items. Each is a symbol of spring and renewal.

This week, Iranian students at the University of Denver are celebrating Nowruz, the name for the Iranian New Year. It has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years on the vernal equinox, marking the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

This year, Iranian students at DU are introducing the celebration to the local community. On Tuesday, March 28, they will host a party from 5–8 p.m. on the fifth floor of the engineering and computer science building. The celebration is open to all students, faculty and staff at DU.

Nowruz, or “new day” in Persian, is a 13-day celebration. Of the international graduate student population at DU, Iranians are one of the largest. Iranian students pursuing graduate studies in the U.S. number roughly 12,300, making them the third largest population of international graduate students.