Hosting cultural events such as Nowruz, Yalda Night and similar celebrations has always been a priority for the Calgary Towhid Center. We are pleased to provide these services to the community for Iranian-Calgarians to gather and celebrate these cultural traditions within the framework of the organization’s charter.

Nowruz

Nowruz is an ancient celebration handed down from various nations but is widely recognized as an Iranian celebration, symbolically joining Iranian people and ethnic groups. Nowruz, with the official name “International Day of Nowruz” has been registered by UNESCO in the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

History and traditions of Nowruz

This day marks the beginning of the new Year in Iran and Afghanistan. In countries such as Tajikistan, Russia, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Georgia, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Albania, China, and Uzbekistan, Nowruz is an official holiday celebrated by many people.

Yalda night

For nearly several thousand years, the last night of autumn, the Yalda night, which is the darkest and longest night of the year, has been celebrated by Iranians, and various rituals and rituals are spent together in this memorable night, a beautiful night that Different cities of Iran have customs.

Yalda night is the longest night of the year, which corresponds to the time between sunset on December 30, which is the last day of autumn, and sunrise on January 1, which is the first day of winter. It coincides with the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. The night is shorter and the day is longer.