Nowruz in Chicago

Nowruz “The Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”*

NOWRUZ at the Federal Plaza – Chicago
Saturday 20 March 2010
12:00 Noon to 6:00pm 

First Chicago Nowruz Parade
Federal Plaza to the State Plaza
12:00 noon to 2:00

“Nowruz” by definition stands for a New Day in Persian Language and in practice is a Celebration of Life, which has been observed since 330 B.C. according to historical records. The geographical binderies for this Persian Tradition go beyond the present Iranian border and the millions that treasure Nowruz festival are many folds larger than current population of Iran. This revered festival is a “multi religious and multi cultural New Year, celebrated by 300 million inhabitants in Central, South and Southwest Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe. More specifically, it is as if Nowruz has become the symbolic nostalgic commonality that integrates people from as far away from Iran as Xingjian’s northwest China and Himalayan foothills of Kashmir, India and Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia and the surrounding smaller republics in the caucuses and Caspian Sea regions, Turkey, Albania, Iraq and the Kurdistan regions, The Persian Gulf sheikdoms and sultanates, as far west as Egypt.” 

In October 2009 During the meeting of The Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28 September – 2 October 2009 in Abu Dhabi, Nowr?z was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZES 21 MARCH AS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NOWRUZ, The United Nation General Assembly this afternoon recognized the International Day of Nowruz, a spring festival of Persian origin. GA10916-February 23, 2010

Please make a Happy Nowruz banner with your establishment’s name/logo and send at least two people (or many more) to parade your banner.

Contact us:  parade4nowruz@mail.com  or (312) 922 – 2300