Persian New Year

The first day of Spring is a cause for celebration here: Persian New Year. It is a time to get new dresses so you can dress up, enjoy walks in the parks and admire everyone's finery and the beginnings of Spring, and put on display national dress, food, dance, and customs. A school in our neighborhood had a big celebration yesterday. In this picture you can see tables lining a big field.  The school children had prepared national dishes and artwork to put on display. It almost seems like it is for foreigners like us to learn about their customs, but it is more of a cultural appreciation display for each other!  After we admired all the tables, we got ready for the performance. These lovely girls were some of the dancers. We love that you can see the snow capped mountains surrounding the city this time of year.

Here are four cuties all dressed up and ready to go. The city is filled with girls wearing the national dresses with beautiful patterns in every color like our girls are wearing here.

These lovely girls show us national dress, hats, and hair with their braids streaming down their backs.

 Wonderfully, this year our kids had friends to hang out with and enjoy the celebration together. This table of national dishes was hosted by the class of Anna's closest local friend. The wheat sprouts are a Spring tradition. In Spring time, our friends here sprout wheat and then cook it with flour and oil in a huge pot outside, stirring it non stop for hours and hours. The result is a wheat spread with a peanut butter like consistency. We think it is delicious.

 The school building is in the background.

Friends!
More pics to come......