{"id":566837,"date":"2026-03-27T02:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T02:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/566837\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T02:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T02:08:12","slug":"conflict-reshapes-persian-new-year-for-iranian-australians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/566837\/","title":{"rendered":"Conflict reshapes Persian New Year for Iranian Australians"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Persian new year, Nowruz, is a celebration known to be centred around traditions with family and loved ones, but for Nasrin Pour, getting in touch with her family in Iran right now is nearly impossible.<\/p>\n

“I can’t even ring my family and make sure they’re OK, let alone talk to them about Nowruz, and congratulate them for the new year,” she said.<\/p>\n

Iran war live updates:<\/a> For all the latest news on the Middle East war, read our blog.<\/p>\n

While Ms Pour is in her southern NSW home at Adelong, the rest of her family remains in Iran where the war is continuing.<\/p>\n

And while the war casts a shadow over the ancient festival, many are determined to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n

“This year will be a bit different. We are definitely still celebrating because this is a celebration that is more than 2,000 years old,” Ms Pour said.<\/p>\n

\"Nasrin<\/p>\n

Iranian Nasrin Pour says it can feel lonely celebrating occasions like Nowruz without family in her small town in southern NSW. (Supplied: Nasrin Pour)<\/p>\n

Honouring ancient traditions<\/p>\n

Nowruz, which means “new day” and marks the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, began on March 21 this year.<\/p>\n

The two-week festival is a non-religious holiday observed not only in Iran but also in Afghanistan, Albania, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan as well as other diaspora communities.<\/p>\n

Part of the festivities is a “haft seen”, which is a traditional spread of seven symbolic items starting with the letter “S” in Farsi.<\/p>\n

Iranian Leila Davandeh, who hosted several Nowruz events at Wagga Wagga’s Library, said these items often represented elements of nature, intended to welcome renewal.<\/p>\n

\"Haft<\/p>\n

A “haft seen” is a traditional spread laid out during Nowruz, featuring items to symbolise renewal for the year ahead. (Supplied: Wagga Wagga City Library)<\/p>\n

“Iranians get together, sit around this table, pass around presents and wish each other a new, lovely, healthy and prosperous new year,” she said.<\/p>\n

Ms Pour said items used previously included apple to represent beauty and love, and garlic for health and medicine.<\/p>\n

“Nowruz is a time we refresh everything. We buy new clothes, we even clean the whole house, carpets, curtains, everything. It’s like a symbol of new life for us.”<\/p>\n

LoadingFinding community away from home<\/p>\n

Since moving to Australia in 2019, Ms Pour has found new ways to celebrate without her family.<\/p>\n

\"Nasrin<\/p>\n

Nasrin Pour moved to Adelong in southern NSW from Iran in 2019. (Supplied: Nasrin Pour)<\/p>\n

“I always try to celebrate it with the Iranian community here in Australia,” she said.<\/p>\n

Living in Adelong, a town of less than 1,000 people in Southern New South Wales, she often travels to larger cities like Sydney and Melbourne, where the Persian community is bigger.<\/p>\n

She said the absence of an Iranian community in a rural town could feel “lonely”, particularly during significant celebrations like Nowruz, but this year brought especially difficult challenges.<\/p>\n

“This year feels different because there’s no internet in Iran and all the networks are shut down,” she said.<\/p>\n

Ms Davandeh said this experience was common for many Iranian Australians this Nowruz.<\/p>\n

“There are lots of people who can’t reach their families because of the current conflict,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It’s a very difficult time for them.”<\/p>\n

Ms Davandeh said she was heartened to see Nowruz celebrations scaled up this year in the regional community of Wagga Wagga, an hour from Adelong.<\/p>\n

She said they were the largest she had seen since moving to the region in 2017.<\/p>\n

\"Local<\/p>\n

Wagga Wagga has hosted a number of events for Nowruz, including a dance performance by a local Uzbek-Afghan Iranian. (Supplied: Wagga Wagga City Library)<\/p>\n

“It feels good to be amongst your people to celebrate it,” she said.<\/p>\n

“For someone like me who lives in a remote area of New South Wales, sometimes it’s hard to go to the bigger cities.”<\/p>\n

Recent events included Persian poetry readings, egg paintings and a concert featuring a classical Persian ensemble from Sydney.<\/p>\n

\"Librarian<\/p>\n

Leila Davandeh (right) says it is important to create new traditions for the Iranian community away from home, even in regional centres like Wagga Wagga. (Supplied: Wagga Wagga City Library)<\/p>\n

Ms Davandeh said it was important to create new traditions for the community, away from home.<\/p>\n

“The Iranian community has been growing since I moved to Wagga,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Celebrating traditions and festivals has always been part of the community’s identity and helps give them a sense of belonging.”<\/p>\n

‘Hopeful’ amid testing times<\/p>\n

Ms Davandeh said just as Nowruz celebrated new beginnings, many in the community were hoping for a peaceful future for Iranians.<\/p>\n

\"Eishan<\/p>\n

A number of events were hosted in Wagga Wagga for Nowruz, at a scale Ms Davandeh said she had never seen before. (Supplied: Wagga Wagga City Library)<\/p>\n

“With what’s happening in Iran right now, we are hoping this will be a new future for our country because, with what’s happened so far, we are close to having a free Iran,” she said.<\/p>\n

“We haven’t had that for 47 years, and we are hoping the new year will be a new Iran as well.”<\/p>\n

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