This year, we do not celebrate with joy, but with solidarity. We light our candles in memory of those we have lost, and we hold onto our traditions to keep our identity and hope alive. We wish for a new year that brings an end to the destruction, prosperity for our loved ones, and the dawn of a peaceful and free future for our homeland.  We come together to celebrate the victory of light over darkness and spring over winter, while fostering a renewed commitment to freedom, human rights, and the restoration of democracy in the United States, Iran and elsewhere. Let us join our friends, families, and neighbors in the Iranian community and all the Californians of diverse backgrounds celebrating Nowruz, and carry forward its message of living in harmony with nature and each other. 

Nowruz is rooted in Zoroastrianism, which is an ancient Persian religion that predates both Christianity and Islam and originated in Iran around 650 B.C.E. It is also a secular holiday that is enjoyed by people of various faiths and ethnicities around the world. Nowruz is celebrated by more than 300 million people across the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Caucasus, Crimea, the Balkan region, and Black Sea Basin, and the traditions of Nowruz are strong among people across the current nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, for more than 3000 years.

Here are some Nowruz related news:

• According to the National Organization for Civil Registration, the United States has the highest number of Iranians outside of Iran, close to 1,000,000 people, with over one-half residing in California.  The California Legislature has passed multiple resolutions recognizing Nowruz over the years, with early examples like ACR 91 filed in May 2014, and subsequent annual resolutions passed through state capitol. This year again, State Senator Aisha Wahab championed Senate Concurrent Resolution 134 (SCR 134), which celebrates March 21, 2026, as the International Day of Nowruz, and Assembly Resolution 90 (AR90) authored by Assemblymember Jessie Gabriel was adopted in honor of Nowruz. 

• Our goal at IADC is to work on legislation that will recognize Nowruz as a statewide holiday.  This would serve as a reminder of the many noteworthy and lasting contributions of Persian culture to the ever-growing social and economic tapestry of the global community and especially in California.

•  As we welcome Spring on Friday, March 20th at 7:46 am PST, a coalition of caring activists in California, including IADC’s Regional Vice Chair, Brian C. Tabatabai will be in Sacramento at the California State Capital Building to advocate for CalCare bill (AB 1900), known as the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act reintroduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra.  You can register here and attend this event that starts at 11 am.

• We also would like to recognize Mayor Sheila Rossi, the first Iranian American Mayor of the city of South Pasadena, who held the first Nowruz reception on March 18th and presented the Nowruz Proclamation at the city hall.  Sheila Rossi also serves as IADC’s Regional Chair of the LA region.  Watch the program here.

As the primary election is soon approaching in June 2026, we at IADC are busy interviewing candidates so we can give the community a comprehensive voter guide.  You can help us by emailing the names of candidates you support or those that you do not believe are aligned with IADC’s values.  Our endorsement cycle ends on March 23rd. If you have a candidate that you would like to receive IADC’s endorsement, please share the link to IADC’s Endorsement Form.

As the world renews itself this spring, let us remember that every new year, and every day, is a chance for a new start; a chance to do things differently; an opportunity to build a better, and more peaceful world.