Bowers Museum: Persian Family Norouz Festival

Event expands the knowledge of history, tradition, and customs of Persian New Year from Ancient Persia to modern Iran .

Bowers Museum will host the Iranian-Persian New Year in its courtyard with authentic Persian music, dance, art, literature, videos, and children’s activities focusing on Norouz traditions on Sunday, March 7, 2010.

The program is co-sponsored by the Persian Cultural Arts Council (Affiliate of Bowers Museum). Admission is free.
Here is the list of the activities and entertainment:

Noted choreographer Anna Djanbazian and artistic director of Anna Djanbazian Dance Company will perform Persian traditional dances with beautiful traditional costumes.
Persian performances include Persian music masters of Yarsan ensemble, Kourosh Moradi, Afshin Mehrasa, Kourosh Basiri, Faramarz Amiri; Persian dancer Ladan Homayoun; and Persian Pop Dancer Bahar (with music by D J Amir.)
A glamorous Haft Seen ceremonial table designed by Samira Weddings will be featured. Haft Seen includes seven specific items representing health, wealth, longevity, fertility and more.
Uncle Norouz (similar to Santa Claus) will be wishing everyone a happy Persian New Year.
A traditional Persian Tea House will serve complimentary Persian tea and Persian sweets throughout the festival. Eating sweets on Norouz brings sweetness to life in the coming year.
A documentary, “In the Foot Steps of Cyrus The Great” by Cyrus Kar, will be featured in the Norma Kershaw Auditorium. The film is on the life of King Cyrus, the first Achaemenian king of ancient Persia .
Jamie Douraghy will exhibit Rostam Comic Books for children. Rostam is the mythical Iranian hero in Shahnameh. The Epic of Kings is one of the definitive literature classics of the world and was written by the famous Iranian poet, Ferdowsi.
The cartoon, Babak and Friends, will be featured. Directed by Dustin J. Ellis, the cartoon is the story of little Babak, who is not familiar with the traditions of the Persian New Year. When his cousins visit, little Bobby realizes that he is missing out on the Best Day of the Year. With the help of friends and a trip to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire, Persepolis, Babak learns about Norouz and rejoices in the rich culture of Iran.
Prominent artist Reza Sepahdari will demonstrate Plaster relief techniques as seen in the Ancient palace of Persepolis .
Prominant artists Jila and Touraj Hakimi from OC Fine Arts will display their glass art creations. The husband-and-wife artists will also offer an opportunity to participate in arts and crafts.
Dr. Khosrow Sobhe, Certified Rug Specialist of SOBCO International, will be exhibiting beautiful Persian rugs, and an artisan will be demonstrating Persian carpet weaving on an actual loom and showing techniques of this magnificent ancient Persian art form.
Davoud Sesar and Ghazal will offer Persian calligraphy and Manijeh will demonstrate her art of painting on silk scarves.

Dr. A. Kamron Jabbari, president of Mazda Publishers, Inc., will exhibit a collection of Persian books of academic value and quality.
Bardi Borghei will exhibit her book Persian Miniature paintings, paintings and hand painted cards.
Mohamad Amini Sam from Jamshid Foundation will exhibit his book, “The pictorial History of Iran” and posters on history of Iran .
CSU Fullerton students will have an information table on the school’s Persian Studies program.
Students from California Zoroastrian Center , Khayam Persian School Foundation, and Mrs. Sorour Nayeri Persian Language School will sing and perform Persian Music and dances.
Children’s activities feature arts and crafts, traditional Persian New Year custom of coloring eggs, growing Sabzeh (wheat grass, lintel grass, and mung beans grass), making Norouz greeting cards, learning about Haft seen items, face painting, costumes, Norouz crafts, and dancing.
There will also be Poetry Reading and Bibliomancy from world-renowned Iranian Poets, Hafez and Rumi, by Shokoufeh.