By Raegan Faught

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — UPDATE: Middle Tennessee State University is honoring the Persian/Kurdish/Afghan New Year’s Day, Nowruz, in a special celebration that has been rescheduled to Saturday, March 22.

Originally set to take place March 15, the event was postponed due to the inclement weather over the weekend throughout the region.

Following the success of the first MTSU celebration of Nowruz last year, the university will again host the event from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at the Tennessee Ballroom of the James Union Building, 516 Alma Mater Drive.

The event will include a classical Persian music performance and two interactive workshops on creative arts related to Nowruz rituals. Since this year’s Nowruz coincides with Ramadan, the event will also include an iftar table with Middle Eastern cuisine.

The event is free and open to the campus community and visitors, but a ticket is required for entry. Register to join the celebration at https://tinyurl.com/5y8vhmnm.

Nowruz, which means “new day,” was historically observed by Iranian people and Persians but is now celebrated by many ethnicities worldwide. It is regarded as a festive day celebrating renewal and new beginnings. 

Mohammad Meerzaei, assistant professor of religious studies and director of the Middle East Center at MTSU, explained the cultural significance of the holiday.

“In many communities from South Asia all the way to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Nowruz marks the new year, and still more: as it is marked by the first day of spring, it marks the beginning of a new cycle of life,” said Meerzaei. 

Organizers aim to teach event guests about the aesthetics of religion and culture in Middle Eastern communities.

“We hope that this celebration will turn into a major moment of connection for Middle Tennesseans, in which they will get the chance to know some of the many cultures represented in the area,” said Meerzaei.

The celebration is co-hosted by the Religious Studies Association of MTSU, the MTSU Middle East Center, the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, MT Engage, and the Office of International Affairs. 

To find parking near MTSU’s James Union Building, a campus parking map is available at https://bit.ly/MTSUParking and more information is available at https://mtsu.edu/parking/.

For more information about the MTSU Middle East Center, visit https://middle-east-center.mtsu.edu/. 

— Raegan Faught is a senior journalism major in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. Contact her at news@mtsu.edu.