Nowruz: Persian New Year Amid Resistance & Resilience

0:00Reporting from The Daily News Now, I'm Corey with the story with the latest in Canada. Now-Raz, the Persian New Year, kicks off on the first day of spring at the Vernal Equinox. This ancient holiday, dating back at least 3,000 years, marks renewal and growth through traditions like spring cleaning and family gatherings. For Iranians this year, it's turning into a powerful act of resistance amid ongoing protests and hardships. Activists like Kara Abdamaleki, who left Iran after the green movement around 2009 to 2010 and returned briefly during the women, life, freedom uprising, see it as the most political celebration in modern times. Living in Canada now, he's determined to honor it more fiercely than ever. Traditions center on the half-sin table, with seven items starting with a letter S and Farsi, such as apples, garlic, and goldfish symbolizing good. Fortune. Families visit relatives in order of age, share meals, exchange gifts, and enjoy light-hearted

1:00chats, even poking fun at each other's lives. For Iranian Canadians like Sociology Professor, Zoray Bayad-Rizzi, and Edmonton, keeping these customs alive gets tougher and smaller communities without. Big events, especially with kids pulled by Western life. Current conflicts in Iran overshadow the joy, making it hard to pass on the culture fully. Still, amid the challenges, communities push forward with private celebrations, drawing strength from their collectivist roots, and turning narrows into a reminder of resilience and hope for better days ahead.