Family Day: Spring into Norouz

Celebrate Norouz and the start of spring with a fun interactive program to celebrate the Persian New Year. Note: Necessary materials for workshops are listed below. 

Featuring Pardis for Children and Kingorama

Schedule

1:00 p.m.: What is Norouz?
An introduction to Norouz and the its different traditions, from Chahar-shanben Suri (the fire jumping festival) to Sizdah bedar (Nature's Day). The different elements of the Haftseen Sofreh are explained and children learn to set their own Haftseens. Taught by Aida Izadpanah.

1:30 p.m.: Haftseen egg painting and growing a sabze
A workshop on two important Norouz traditions: how to decorate/dye/paint eggs using different techniques and how to grow Sabze (sprouts) for your Haftseens. Taught by Sare Imani.

Materials list for egg painting and growing a sabze

2:00 p.m.: A Norouz Sing Along
Learn a Norouz song in a lively setting. Taught by Armin Antighechian.

2:30 p.m.: Persian Pastry Making for Norouz
Learn how to make two of the most traditional pastries for your Haftseen table: Shirini Berenji (rice cookies) and Toot (rose-flavored marzipan). Taught by Roshanak Yousefian from Popilee Pastries.

Please note that we'll be using some basic kitchen appliances and the oven. Adult supervision recommended.

Ingredient list for pastry demonstration

3–4:10 p.m.: Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic
A Persian Epic is a visually breathtaking cinematic shadow play for all ages, created and directed by Hamid Rahmanian, a 2014 Guggenheim fellowship-winning filmmaker and visual artist. The play unfolds an action-packed magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh (The Book of Kings).

4:10–4:30 p.m.: Feathers of Fire Q&A Hamid Rahmanian, the creator of Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic, shares how the magical stage production came to life using puppets and actors, light, and shadow with Rachel Cooper, director of the culture as diplomacy initiative at Asia Society.

Asia Society family programs have been generously supported by Coca Cola