A Nowruz celebration welcomes a new year
Members of the Afghan and arts communities and their friends came together in Annandale to celebrate Nowruz yesterday.
The event was hosted by Omaid Sharifi, who co-founded the art collective Art Lords in Afghanistan, which has since spread worldwide, and John Calvin Presbyterian Church on Columbia Pike.
Nowruz is celebrated on March 21, the first day of the year in Afghanistan. It’s a time of renewal, hope, and new beginnings.
The celebration, held at the church, featured traditional Afghan music, food, a calligraphy demonstration, a community mural painting, and children’s crafts.
The art exhibition at the event featured works by members of Art Lords; miniature paintings rescued from Afghanistan; and paintings by Rev. Casey Wait, John Calvin’s pastor, and James Albright, chair of the Mason District Arts Council and resident artist at the church.
The musicians came from Nashville to perform classical Afghan music on a two-stringed instrument called the du taar, tabla (drums), and harmonium.
Before the Taliban took over and banned music and festivals, women would celebrate Nowruz by making and sharing samanak, a pudding made of green wheat and a dish with seven fruits, said Kambiz Moheb. They would dress up and bring treats to one another’s homes, and children would get new clothes.
Now, people in Afghanistan celebrate in secret behind closed doors, Moheb said. He came to the U.S. in September with a special visa due to his work as a medical advisor for the U.S. Army in 2011-13. He has since trained as a psychiatrist but isn’t able to practice here until he goes through a lengthy licensing process.
Art Lords uses murals and other public art to promote peace, justice, and human dignity.
“Art can open people’s minds to new prospects,” Art Lords states. “It stimulates critical thinking and helps people understand that war is a commonly shared experience and that only a common effort, coming from within society, can bring peace and prosperity to Afghanistan.”
Related story: New exhibit at Beanetics features Afghan miniatures
wouldn’t it make more sense for them to celebrate American culture?
You mean toxic white supremacy and colonialism?
Why are you so afraid of them doing so? I’m sure there is something in your life you may have celebrated/observed that wasn’t directly American. Ever gone out for St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco De Mayo?
I would suggest that refugees would welcome some reminders of their former homeland as they adjust to a completely different environment.
America is a collection of communities – including Afghan ones – and we love to celebrate all of them. Nowruz is a recognition that Spring has come – just like Easter and the Spring Solstice – and it is a great opportunity to share in our excitement. Virtually every day that is celebrated in the United States came from somewhere else – the more the merrier.
Absolutely! You could begin by teaching them how to speak Piscataway and share the celebratory traditions of the Doeg. You know when those days are, right? I will be more than happy to put them on my calendar. Seriously. It’s important to practice the local culture.
No, because there is no American culture event at this time of year. I assume you meant US culture. I didn’t do enough research to see if there were cultural events other places in the Americas, celebrating the equinox. When 4th of July comes, we will celebrate 4th of July.