Happy Nowruz and New Year!

On March 20, 2023, a grand Nowruz and New Year celebration program was held in Vancouver/Burnaby, Canada. Hundreds of guests participated in this event, including Afghan diaspora living in the Vancouver area, some foreign guests, Canadian officials such as the Mayor of Burnaby Mr. Mike Hurley, some Consular Corps representatives, and officials from major Vancouver institutions. In this program, at the outset, Mr. Ramin Manawi, the Consul General of Afghanistan welcomed the guests and congratulated Nowruz and the new year 1402. He delivered remarks on Nowruz and its historical importance; how it has been celebrated for thousands of years in Afghanistan and related civilizational zones; celebration of Nowruz by millions of people all over the world; the deep mental and psychological connection of the Afghan people with Nowruz; the customs and traditions observed in Nowruz; continuation of existence of Nowruz as a cultural heritage despite the challenges it faces in the country; accepting Nowruz as a new opportunity for intellectual and personal growth; and other issues related to Nowruz. In addition, Prof. Said Masoud, Prof. Abdul Rahim Parwani, Prof. Abdul Fattah Samim, Mrs. Aleksandre Panik (Head of the office of NDP leader Mr. Jagmeet Singh), Mrs. Kobra Rezaei and Mrs. Fatemeh Agha spoke about Nowruz and the importance of celebrating it with beautiful poems. In this event, which was moderated by Mr. Sami Sahim (former radio and television announcer) and Masoud Hashemi (cinema artist from Afghanistan), after the ceremonies and speeches, certain cultural exhibitions, appropriate entertainment, and live music (by popular singer Mr. Daud Faqiri and his skilled musicians) were also considered.