We are so excited to co-sponsor these upcoming Nowruz events with Project Hajra! Please save the dates for our Nowruz program Thursday, March 18th from 4-5PM EST and Friday, March 19th 4-5:30PM EST.
✨To RSVP, please email projecthajra@gmail.com. Project Hajra will be sending the link several hours before the events.
Here is some more information about the program, so that you may prepare in a way that makes the best sense for you:
For Thursday:
Please bring paper, pen, or anything that you’d like to use to either journal or draw.
For Friday:
We are having a hunt for common nowruz items and all ages are welcome to play! Here are some items if you want to prepare for this hunt! This is a time to really be creative in finding the items that work for you! 🙂
Here is the information about the hunt:
The Haft Sin is a sofreh or table setting of symbolic items that we arrange in celebration of Nowruz. It is called Haft (7) Sin (for letter “س”) because it meant to have 7 special items that all begin with the Persian letter Sin. Each item has a symbolic meaning.
Items that start with Persian letter “س”:
- Sabzeh (سبزه): [greens grown like sprouts] the symbol of rebirth and growth.
- Samanu (سمنو): [Sweet Pudding] the symbol of power and strength.
- Senjed (سنجد): [Persian olive] the symbol of love.
- Somāq (سماق): [Spice] the symbol of sunrise.
- Serkeh (سرکه): [vinegar] the symbol of patience.
- Seeb (سیب): [Apple] the symbol of beauty.
- Seer (سیر): [Garlic] the symbol of health and medicine.
Other items that start with Persian letter “س” and can be included:
- Sonbol (سنبل): [Hyacinth flower] the symbol of spring’s arrival.
- Sekkeh (سکه): [Gold coins] the symbol of wealth and prosperity.
- Saat (ساعت): [Clock] the symbol of time.
Items that don’t start with “س” and can be included:
- eggs (تخممرغ رنگی): the symbol of fertility.
- mirror (آینه): the symbol of self-reflection.
- candle (شمع): the symbol of enlightenment.
- goldfish (ماهی قرمز): the symbol of life.
- book (کتاب): the symbol of wisdom.
Additional accessibility notes from Project Hajra:
— We will be speaking in several different languages and will do our best to have consecutive interpretation, this is also an invitation to share in the language that makes the most sense for your heart!
— Because of the multilingual space, we will not have transcriptions, but will have the scripted parts of our program up on slides and also in the chat. Our team went back and forth on how to be the best accessible that we can considering needs of multilingual space, this is what we settled on.
— This is a cultural program, not a religious program, and all are welcome.
About Project Hajra
Project Hajra is a membership based, peer supported, and transformative justice initiative working out of our local AMEMSA (Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South/Central Asian) community in Queens, NYC. We began in 2011 in partnership with CONNECT-NYC to develop gender justice organizing programs by and for us.