Happy Nowruz 1400!

THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM LETIZIA ROSSANO, APDIM Director

 Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I wish you and your loved ones joy, health and happiness on the occasion of Nowruz 1400.

As you might know, Nowruz is the national New Year festivity celebrated in the Islamic Republic of Iran, APDIM host country, Afghanistan, and the Northern regions of Iraq, Turkey and Syria, and throughout Central Asia. Marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, Nowruz is a springtime celebration whose activities symbolise rebirth and the link between human beings and nature.  The 11th-century Persian poet Omar Khayyam referred to it as “the renewal of the world”.  

It is celebrated in different ways across different cultures, but one of the common practices is to set up a Haft-sin table presenting seven symbolic items starting with ‘s” which are a symbol of health, beauty, wisdom, rebirth, strength, patience and cleansing of body and environment.  At APDIM, we have set up our Haft-Sin to celebrate Nowruz, while of course still keeping social distance and very much looking forward to brighter days ahead!

Warmest wishes and…. Happy Spring!

Letizia Rossano