Bye Bye Winter… Hello Spring! GSDM Celebrates the Persian New Year

On March 18, 2015, more than 150 Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) students, faculty, staff, and friends gathered in Hiebert Lounge for a Persian New Year Nowruz celebration.

The celebration was sponsored by the Boston University chapter of the American Student Dental Association. A celebration of spring, Nowruz—meaning “New Day” in Persian—marks the first day of the Persian calendar. The occasion symbolizes nature’s renewal and rebirth after the passing of winter.

Guests enjoyed Iranian cuisine from Roksana’s in Watertown and Persian music and dance from the Aftab Dance Group featuring pianist Mohammad Araghchini, a post-doctoral student at MIT. Organizers set up a traditional Haft Seen (“the seven ‘S’s”) table, which included seven items starting with the letter “seen”, or “s”, in the Iranian alphabet. Each item signifies a different aspect of the New Year. These items may include:

• Sabzeh: wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish – symbolizing green environment, happiness and rebirth.
• Samanu: a sweet pudding made from germinated wheat – symbolizing affluence.
• Senjed: the dried fruit of the oleaster tree – symbolizing firmness and tolerance.
• Sīr: garlic – symbolizing health.
• Sīb: apples – symbolizing beauty and love.
• Somaq: sumac berries – symbolizing patience.
• Serkeh: vinegar – symbolizing development and evolution.

The organizers of the event were Golnaz Kavand AS 15, Hedieh Kousedghi AS 15, Sadaf Mostafavian DMD 18, Sara Najafi DMD 17, Hastialsadat Sabbaghan DMD 16, and Saeed Yazdianpour DMD 18 who worked with Assistant Dean of Students Dr. Joseph Calabrese, Director of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs Dr. Larry Dunham, Associate Director of Student Affairs Ms. Erica M. Manczuk, and Student Affairs Coordinator Ms. Amy Nelson.

Photos are available on Facebook and Flickr.