With goldfish, lentils and apples, Iranian New Year festival will be celebrated in St. John's

Iranians living far from home are gearing up for New Year celebrations with goldfish, fires and food to bring people together to mark the occasion.

Nowruz, which coincides with the spring equinox, takes place Tuesday, and there are plans to mark it in St. John's.

"It's a time where families get together, we celebrate using various kinds of symbolic activities," Parsa Esmkhani said. "It's a great time. It's family time and very cosy."

Esmkhani and Yashar Meidani are members of Memorial University's Iranian Students' Association, which is hosting a Nowruz celebration on Wednesday at the Bella Vista venue in St. John's.

Meidani said tickets are already sold out and they are holding the event the day after Nowruz because on the actual day people will be busy celebrating with their families, including connecting with family from afar including using apps like FaceTime.

"So the importance of Nowruz is about being with family, together. Even if you're, you know, living apart," said Meidani.

LISTEN | Memorial University's Iranian Students' Association members Parsa Esmkhani and Yashar Meidani explain how Nowruz is celebrated: 

St John's Morning Show10:49How MUNs Iranian student association is kicking off their New Year celebrations

Tomorrow evening marks this year's spring equinox, and that happens to line up with a celebration called Nowruz, also known as the Iranian New Year. Yashar Meidani and Parsa Esmkhani are members of MUNs Iranian student association. They joined us in studio and shared how they will be kicking off the Iranian New Year at the Bella Vista.

Esmkhani added there is a large Iranian population in Newfoundland and Labrador, with 1,000 members on their Facebook page. It is also celebrated beyond Iran and in places like Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia and central Asia.

Esmkhani said it's also a religious and cultural holiday, dating back to when Persia practised Zoroastrianism, before the adoption of Islam.

"Nowruz is kind of much more inherent to the culture of Iran, as opposed to Ramadan. Not to say many people in Iran don't celebrate Ramadan," said Esmkhani.

He added Nowruz is more ingrained into the culture of Iran, whereas Ramadan is for the Muslim population.

Celebrating with apples, wheat and fire

Meidani said there are several traditions to mark the occasion, including a centrepiece called the Haft-Seen, which are seven items that are from nature and begin with the same letter in the Persian alphabet. On the table will be items like wheat or lentils that symbolize nature growing back, as well as garlic to represent medicine.

Esmkhani said applies will be there to represent beauty and health.

There will also be a goldfish on the table, as it represents life and is meant to bring good luck, said Meidani.

Another way they mark the end of the year is that on the last Wednesday of the year people jump over a fire, which Esmkhani said symbolizes sickness being burned away.

Due to fire regulations, that won't be happen at their Wednesday event at the Bella Vista, Meidani said, but people back home will be doing it and videos will be posted to social media. "Just seeing people doing that," he said, "that's just enough for me."

Meidani said Nowruz is comparable to Christmas for North American Christians, as workplaces and schools close for two weeks so families can gather.

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