Navroz 2021 – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

The Afghan community invites you to the New Year Celebration at the Afghan mosque, Enterprise Drive, Shepparton, on Saturday 28 March.

Navroz (Nowruz) (Persian: نوروز‎, pronounced [nowˈɾuːz]; lit. ‘new day’) is the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year, which begins on the spring equinox, marking the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar calendar.

As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families gather together to observe the rituals.

This is a day that’s full of friends, food, family, food, festivities, and food. It is celebrated mostly in Western and Central Asia, the Balkans, and the Middle East, and there are aspects that are a little similar to how Chinese New Year is celebrated. For example, Navroz is also when homes are cleaned, and all broken items are repaired or replaced to prepare for a brand new start. People wear new clothes, so much food that’s specific to this time of year is prepared for the day, and much of the day is spent by visiting loved ones, and wishing each other a prosperous year ahead.

	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.