ParsaCommunityFoundation

Each year, Shiva Sarram holds a Norooz, or Persian New Year, presentation for students at her children's Montessori school in Fairfield County, Connecticut. During the day, they learn about Norooz traditions such as the haft seen table and spring cleaning. At the end of the day, the children go home with lentil goodie bags and instructions on how to grow their own traditional sprouted lentils (sabzeh), in addition to a handout that explains what Norooz is to their parents.

This year, she and fellow mother Sally Reed explained the traditions to the entire school, focusing on items on the symbolic haft seen table she set up such as eggs, goldfish and coins. The items symbolically correspond with values such as renewal, health, affluence, and happiness. The children were enamored with the table and learned words in Persian as they went along.

"Many of them recognize the similarities in the cultures," said Sarram, who said she wanted students to understand that people and cultures are all very similar at their base. "If we could all remember we were all one, maybe we could stop bickering."

To read more about Sarram's presentation, read the full article here. To see photos of the celebration, click here.