Persian New Year celebration at Saddleback College

Persian food was served at the Spring Day event in the Quad, held to celebrate the Persian New Year, on March 18, 2014. (Lam Tung)

The International and Diversity Student Council and Saddleback College students were having Spring Day celebration for the Persian New Year at SSC QUAD on March 18 at 11 a.m.

It’s the 1,393 New Year in Persian calendar. Persians mark the first day of spring as the beginning of the new year.

A lot of Saddleback’s Persian students, as well as American students, came by to enjoy the celebration.

“I really love Persian things,” said Moojan Rezvan, a 22-year-old Persian student who has been to United States for one  year and four months. “It’s not just the Persian New Year, it’s the first day of spring and that’s why the event’s name is Spring Day.”

Persian food was served for $2 for each. Many students stopped by and tried the cuisine.

“The food we are selling is kabob,” said Sarvy Pahlavan, director of the International and Diversity Student Council. “All the money we get from selling the food will be donated to the Project Concern International, which is helping villagers in different countries build schools, farms and hospitals.”

Negin Katiraei and Taha Kalvanel were playing guitars and singing a traditional Persian New Year song to get more people coming to the celebration. The name of the song translated to English is, “The winter has gone and the spring comes.”

“I have been here for one year and a half and I miss home a lot,” said Katiraei. “The Persian New Year celebration makes me feel more like home.”

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