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March 20, 2017
Noruz Mobarak!
Happy Persian New Year from Shangri La!
In Persian tradition, the new year falls on the spring equinox. The day is observed widely by the Persian diaspora around the world in countries like Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and here in the U.S. where Persian culture has been part of America for generations. Shangri La celebrated Noruz with a special event that was hosted in partnership with members of the local Persian community. Some people came with a deep understanding of Noruz while others were celebrating the holiday for the first time.
We learned, moved, watched, listened and ate! There was workshop on the traditional Noruz Haft-Seen table. For those unfamiliar with Noruz, the Haft-Seen table displays seven symbolic items that start with the letter ‘seen’ in Persian. It includes items such as wheat grass (sabzeh) for rebirth or garlic (seer) for good health. Additional symbolic items such a mirror, coins, decorated eggs, candes, goldfish, and holy books or poetry books may also adorn the table.
Noruz at Shangri La reflects the unique heritage of our collection, from our iconic Playhouse, a building modeled after Chehel Stun palace in Isfahan, to the detail of acrobats in our collection of Persian tiles. Celebrating the culture, creativity and diversity of the worlds expressed by our collection is central to our mission. Particularly during a moment when we need to cultivate a deeper understanding of the shared values that make us who we are.
A special thank you to our collaborating partners, the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute.
Watch a replay of a special forum, Addressing Islamaphobia: The Role of the Arts, which was sponsored by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
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