Burnaby Neighbourhood House is ringing in the spring season by hosting a community dinner in celebration of the Persian New Year holiday, Norooz.
The event is taking place as part of the neighbourhood house’s Sharing Cultures dinners program. Each month, a different culture is highlighted, with volunteers from the spotlighted cultural group planning the structure of the evening. Typically, the events include a dinner of traditional food, an educational piece to tell the public a little bit about each culture, activities for kids and entertainment.
Norooz marks the first day of the Iranian calendar and coincides with the first day of the spring on March 20. A traditional Persian New Year’s dinner includes the creation of the “Haft-Seen,” a table setting complete with seven specific food items all beginning with the letter S – or seen, in the Persian alphabet – such as seeb (green apple) and seer (garlic).
Kimberly Barwich, Burnaby Neighbourhood House’s program director says that although this month’s event has yet to be fully mapped out, most of their Sharing Cultures dinners draw a successful turnout. According to Barwich, the program has been running for over 10 years and brings in between 50 to 80 diners each month, thanks in part to the program’s informative nature.
“It’s really about not just eating Persian food, but learning about what the celebration is about,” Barwich said.
Barwich believes that spreading the word about multicultural events within the community is important in bridging the gap between Canadians and newer immigrants.
“I think it’s important for us to provide opportunities for both Canadian-born and non-Canadian folks to come together and learn about the variety of cultures that are in our communities,” she said.
Tickets for the March 23 dinner can be purchased at Burnaby Neighbourhood House’s South Burnaby location, 4460 Beresford St.
