Students gathered in Grant Hall to mark Nowruz, the Persian New Year, blending celebration with reflection.
The Iranian Association at Queen’s University (IAQU) hosted the event, which brought together around 85 attendees for an evening of traditional food, live performances, speeches, and dancing, while also incorporating tributes to those who have lost their lives in Iran
Doors opened at 6 p.m., with the crowd steadily growing by 7 p.m. Dinner began around 8 p.m., followed by a series of performances including piano and kamancheh, a traditional Persian string instrument, around 9 p.m.
Iranian art was displayed throughout the space, a photobooth with Iranian flags, traditional music played, and a slideshow was shown honouring Iranians who have lost their lives. An Iranian flag was also hung on the wall, where guests could attach photos of those lost.
Melina Doust, IAQU events coordinator, placing a photo on the map of Iran. PHOTO PROVIDED BY IAQU.
The performance lineup included IAQU member Erfan on piano, Rodin on kamancheh, Baran on santoor, and Daniel on tombak, followed by Ava, who read poetry from the Shahnameh. The last names of the performers weren’t provided.
For IAQU executives, the night carried deep emotional weight. “Carrying all of that changes you, and there were days where I was really not okay,” said Co-President Aila Payroveolia, ArtSci ’27, in her speech.
She described that feeling as something shared across the room. “We’re tired, feeling broken, tired of carrying this ache everywhere we go, tired of pretending we’re coping when we’re barely holding on.”
Payroveolia said the event wasn’t only a celebration of Nowruz, but a way for students to hold onto hope amid ongoing grief. She said the arrival of spring serves as a reminder that hardship is temporary, even when it doesn’t feel that way.
That sense of collective experience was echoed in an interview with The Journal by Co-President Sara Hosseinifard, ArtSci ’28, who said the event’s strong turnout reflects how much students are seeking connection.
“We’re all one nation, and we all grieve for each other,” she said.
A traditional Nowruz Haft-sin table, which typically features seven symbolic items such as wheat sprouts representing growth, was adapted this year with the addition of an eighth element to reflect recent loss. A bowl of red liquid was placed on the table to reflect “Our brothers and sisters’ innocent blood,” according to Payroveolia in an interview with The Journal.
The events Haft-sin table displaying the eight items. PHOTO PROVIDED BY IAQU.
“Blood that was not meant to be spilled yet now lives as a symbol of courage and resistance. A reminder of lives taken too soon, and voices that refused to be silenced,” Payroveolia added.
“It’s really important to celebrate cultural event like this because it’s one of the tactics of the Islamic regime, to erase true Persian culture,” she said.
She added that this year’s event aimed to do more than celebrate tradition.
“We’re not just celebrating, we’re not just dancing, we’re talking about what’s happening,” she said.
That sense of connection extends beyond the Iranian community. Payroveolia said it was “very heartwarming to see so many non-Iranians show up. It shows how close the Queen’s community is.”
For some, the event also gave a sense of familiarity that’s difficult to find.
In an interview with The Journal, Sandra Rohani, ArtSci ’29, said she had never seen so many Persian students gathered in one space on campus. She said New Year’s was a big celebration at home, and being able to experience part of that tradition at Queen’s was a nice reminder.
By the end of the night, the event shifted into dancing, and the atmosphere reflected what organizers described as the reality of this year’s Nowruz, holding grief and hope at the same time.
Tags
Iranian Association at Queen’s University, Nowruz, Persian New Year
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