Students celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz at IEC’s final Dinner and Dialogues of the year
The event featured collaborative discussions and activities regarding the holiday, while the UTM Persian Student Association co-hosts balanced celebrating amid political tension in Iran.
The International Education Centre (IEC) recently hosted its final Dinner and Dialogues (DnD) event of the academic year. The event brought together students to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz through food and discussions, in collaboration with the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Persian Students’ Association (PSA).
On March 26, students gathered to discuss the cultural significance, traditions and activities surrounding Eid and Nowruz, which both fell on March 2o this year. A buffet-style dinner followed the collaborative activities, featuring Middle Eastern chicken biryani, vegetarian biryani, potato samosas, salad, and soft drinks, all from The Blind Duck.
Experiencing culture through dialogue
The event featured a presentation highlighting the significance of Eid and a breakdown of what Nowruz is for the Persian community, a festival that signifies a time of renewal, family gathering and a new year. The 13-day celebration includes setting up a Haft-Seen, a presentation of seven items symbolizing health, love, beauty, rebirth, and patience. These seven symbolic items all start with the Persian letter S (seen) and usually consist of garlic, bean sprouts, vinegar, sumac, apples, samano, and senjed.
Before the beginning of Nowruz, tradition calls to plant or buy bean sprouts or lentils, allowing them to grow fully until the day of Nowruz. During the 13-day festival, the bean sprouts are displayed and then thrown into a river. The ritual symbolizes the beginning of spring, throwing the sprouts or lentils represents releasing negativity, allowing the water to carry bad luck away.
The Medium interviewed attendees and executives after the event to gain their insight on the last DnD.
Fourth-year biology specialist Sruthi Mulpur, who had previously attended the Diwali DnD back in October, shared, “I learned a lot, especially about Nowruz. I had never heard of it before.” Mulpur had joined the event in support of a friend, leaving with new knowledge about both Eid and Nowruz.
Safa Khan, a fourth-year life sciences major and Mulpur’s friend, said, “It was my first time attending something close to my religion and culture.” She also mused that the event “was very nostalgic.”
Both students expressed that events like DnD offer students opportunities to explore traditions they may be unfamiliar with. Khan advised readers, “You should experience it once, especially the ones that are not part of your culture, to learn something new.”
For IEC Intercultural Events Assistant Farhada Khaled, the event carried a bittersweet feeling. “It was very bittersweet. So this was the last DND. It was nice but also kind of sad, but I’m glad it was a very nice year.”
This event marked the first collaboration between the PSA and IEC, offering an opportunity to centre Persian culture and traditions on campus. Khaled shared, “It’s definitely a safe space if they want to take a picture with the Persian flag, and to have their voices heard.”
PSA Co-President Bita Khaleghisohi said, “This year was really hard, but we didn’t want grief to stop us from celebrating.” Despite the challenges for students, Khaleghisohi shared “[The event] reminds us that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.”
The event was both meaningful and complex as Khaleghisohi shared, “I don’t actively practise [Islam], I just know the highlights of Ramadan and [Eid-al] Fitr.” She noted that the event included additional research efforts to represent Eid for attendees.
Balancing both celebrations was a concern for Khaleghisohi, as she shared, “I tried my best, I hope people felt included.” For future DnD plans to combine Eid and Nowruz, Khaleghisohi shared, “Maybe next year, people [who] celebrate Eid would feel more included if they had somebody else speak on it. Or maybe another activity.” She added, “If it were vice versa, maybe I would feel excluded.”
Khaleghisohi said that the ongoing war in Iran had affected her ability to focus when she was deciding how to present. “I spend a lot of time on the news and just consuming a lot of negative media.” Despite these challenges, Khaleghisohi stated, “It’s a significant event for us. It deserves to be celebrated.”
The IEC’s DnD series will continue into the coming fall semester, hosting one cultural dinner and discussion each month. The PSA also shared that it plans to host more Nowruz events on its own next year, which they will announce on their Instagram page @PSA.UTM.
