With traditional Iranian music, art stations and a grand Nowruz meal, MTSU students and Murfreesboro community members gathered to celebrate Nowruz at the James Union Ballroom on Saturday.
Mohammad Meerzaei, an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, emceed the event, delivering a short speech at the start of the evening then making his rounds, greeting every attendee.
“Nowruz is West Asian,” Meerzaei said, making a distinction between Nowruz’s history and its current celebration. “In Middle East studies, we always have that technical problem.”
Nowruz is traditionally known as Iranian or Persian New Year, but is now celebrated by many in West Asia, including Kurdish and Afghan cultures. The diverse crowd of participants at MTSU’s Nowruz reflected the broad reach of the holiday.
“I’ve had friends that celebrate Nowruz,” student Ethan Weiche said. “I’ve always wanted to go to a festival or event, but I’ve never had the chance. Although it’s easy to make connections in the Nashville area, with so many Kurdish people here, it’s not easy to be invited. Having something like this on campus is really cool.”
Weiche and his friends sat together at the start of the celebration, decorating their hands with henna. As part of this year’s Nowruz at MTSU, there were two art stations: one focused on henna and another on hand-painted eggs. Local henna artist Tasneem Arif guided participants through the henna activity, while Nate Belmont, a religious studies undergraduate student, led the egg painting.
associate professor at MTSU, and his son Umit decorate plastic eggs at the Nowruz celebration in MTSU’s James Union Building on March 22, 2025. (Noah McLane)
The art stations began at 6 p.m. and ended at 6:59 p.m. — just in time for Iftar, the evening meal to end fasting during Ramadan, as some attendees observe Ramadan as well. Participants were encouraged to enter a side room near the JUB to partake in an Iftar meal. Complete with lemon-marinated chicken kabobs, sholeh zard — a Persian saffron pudding — and tabbouleh, the meal was prepared by members of MTDining.
While many participants in this year’s Nowruz celebration were part of West Asian cultures, some attendees chose to come to Nowruz to learn about a culture different than their own.
“I wanted to educate myself more,” student Haven Velasquez said. “I am very much so enjoying myself right now.”
Velasquez sat with Weiche at the henna table, along with their friend Asher Joffrion.
“I actually came out because I needed to go to an event for one of my classes,” Joffrion said. “I’m really glad I chose this one. It’s really cool to experience for the first time because I actually didn’t know anything about this holiday.”
As Iftar concluded, Meerzaei welcomed local Iranian musicians onstage. The audience remained quiet during the performance, nodding their heads to whistling vocals, drum beats and traditional string instruments. They took photos and videos of the performers while eating homemade cookies left in the center of each ballroom table. A few sharp-dressed young boys ran and played during the performance, chasing each other through the ballroom, letting out the energy of Nowruz.
The event provided a connection between members of MTSU and the Middle Tennessee community, both inside and outside of West Asian culture, reflecting Meerzaei’s hopes in anticipation for this year’s Nowruz.
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