Celebrating Nowruz – The Persian New Year 

March 21st marks Nowruz. This is the first day of spring and the first month of the Persian New Year. In Farsi, Nowruz means New Day. Nowruz is celebrated for 13 days and ends on Friday, April 2nd marking "Sizdah Be-dar", known as "Nature's Day", where it is celebrated outdoors surrounding nature. During the 13 days, Nowruz is celebrated with family gatherings, traditions and ceremonies – an important tradition practiced is gathering around the “Haft-Sin”. This is a table decorated with 7 symbolic objects that start with the letter “S” in Farsi. These objects symbolize brightness, livelihood, purity, wealth and joy. Nowruz has been observed for over 3,000 years and is celebrated in many countries. This is a time to celebrate the coming of spring, to celebrate new beginnings and to wish others prosperity. 

Nowruz Dancing Crown 

Today’s project is a part of two-day activity. We will be making a beautiful crown for tomorrow’s dance party. This hand-print paper crown is not only fun and easy to make, but also encourages creativity in children and engages them to gain important skills that may directly correlate to their long-term achievements in school and later on in their life. 

What You will Need 

Process  

Engaging with Your Child 

Invite your child to create their very own crown to celebrate Nowruz. Intentionally acknowledging and celebrating other cultural events increases children’s awareness, appreciation and inclusion of diverse beliefs and cultures. Let’s celebrate each other. 
 
During this activity, meet your child at their developmental level. If they need help tracing their own hands or cutting the paper, support them in practicing these skills. These are important tasks to help develop or strengthen their fine motor skills. Using scissors is especially tricky for little ones because it requires them to separate their hands, which takes time to develop. Provide your child with decorative materials and let them take the lead in decorating their crown. Encourage their efforts and save the crown for tomorrow’s dance party!