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Nowrūz At Rainbow

(24 March 2013)

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Rainbow Pre-School in Cookham had a very special event on Friday, 22 March 2013 - a Persian New Year celebration known as Nowrūz, organised by Mahsa Ghassemnejad, whose 3 year old son, Daniel, attends Rainbow. She did an amazing job and the children had a lovely time.

Mahsa told the children about the significance of the Persian New Year and also decorated the table with lots of special items (including Olivia, the goldfish!) which are supposed to bring good luck. The children were then able to try some delicious Iranian culinary delights. They also painted boiled eggs on Thursday in keeping with Iranian tradition and were allowed to take their "pieces of art" home.

Finally, the toddlers watched a beautiful children’s film called One Seed, which has Iranian origins, and played pass the parcel to Iranian music as it was Jack M's 3rd birthday:

http://www.quillsquotesandnotes.com/published-one-seed.htm

A LITTLE BACKGROUND TO THE PERSIAN NEW YEAR

Nowrūz meaning "[The] New Day") is the name of the Iranian/Persian New Year in Iranian calendars and the corresponding traditional celebrations. Nowruz is also widely referred to as the "Persian New Year".

Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian peoples and the related cultural continent and has spread in many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia, Caucasus, South Asia, Northwestern China, the Crimea and some groups in the Balkans.

Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical Northward equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.

http://www.cookhamrainbowpreschool.co.uk/ 

Mahsa Ghassemnejad and Kathy Rickman

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