LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Today is Nowruz, the Persian New Year. This year, though, this celebration of beginnings as spring begins - well, it feels heavy for many Iranians in the U.S. as they watch the war in Iran thousands of miles away.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Nava Esmailizadeh lives in London but is in Los Angeles with her family to celebrate.
NAVA ESMAILIZADEH: The symbolism of kind of that renewal, that hope, springtime. And I think that a lot of people are trying to almost cling onto that aspect of it more than they have had to in previous years.
INSKEEP: Esmailizadeh says she loves the more-than-3,000-year-old traditions of Nowruz. One of her favorites is setting a table. It's called the Haft Sin table. You decorate it with symbolic items - an apple for beauty, sprouts for rebirth, garlic for health, a mirror for self-reflection and light.
ESMAILIZADEH: It's the process of making it with your family, going out to get all the ingredients. Everybody, every single night, is at someone else's house, sharing stories and just having a really good time.
FADEL: Niki Sepanj is also in Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian population outside of Iran. She can't get in touch with relatives in Iran because of the government-imposed internet blackouts. But she imagines what they're doing despite the U.S. and Israeli bombardments, despite the intensified crackdowns by the regime.
NIKI SEPANJ: Knowing Iranian people, like, through thick or thin, they will celebrate just, you know, any sliver of hope they're holding onto. And I think Nowruz brings people hope.
INSKEEP: Some people feel it's wrong to celebrate this year. The Farhang Foundation, which promotes Iranian art and culture, canceled its Nowruz festival in Los Angeles. Here's the CEO, Alireza Ardekani.
ALIREZA ARDEKANI: Because most of our community was in mourning. And we wanted to be supportive of the community and also to mourn with the community.
FADEL: Instead, the nonprofit organized two concerts of somber Persian music to help people heal. Here's Ardekani again.
ARDEKANI: Light always prevails - the victory of light over darkness, which is exactly what Nowruz represents after the dark winter months and coming to the first day of spring and celebrating rebirth and a new day, which Nowruz translates to a new day.
FADEL: A new day in a dark time.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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