At Naw-Ruz, Iranian-Americans See Hope for U.S.-Iranian Thaw
Omar Sacirbey of Religion News Service covers the rituals and festivities surrounding Naw-Ruz, or the Persian New Year. Yassaman Jalali, author of the children’s book Celebrating Norouz: Persian New Year, notes, “One of the most important beauties of Naw-Ruz is that it is celebrated by all people of different faiths, cultures and languages in Iran and outside of Iran.” Sacirbey remarks on significance of this year’s festivities, as they are on the heels of a historic thaw in U.S.-Iranian relations. Hamid Esbah, an Iranian-American living in Boston, said, “We all have friends and relatives who visit here, and everyone says people are more hopeful this Naw-Ruz. They say that things feel different.”