Celebrants mark start of Iranian year 1402
Published 8:17 am Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Rose Hoffman, the owner of Athena Mediterranean Kitchen on Pier 39, performs a dance at a Nowruz celebration on March 21. The celebration at Athena is scheduled to stretch out over 13 days.
Nowruz, the start of Persian New Year, is marked worldwide. On March 21, the celebration came to our area.
Athena Mediterranean Kitchen on Pier 39 in Astoria held a Nowruz celebration, part of 13 days of festivities planned at the restaurant. The opening-day event attracted about 50 people who partook of celebratory food and drink, listened to music and watched a variety of dancing all intended to welcome the Persian new year.
The festival is based on the Northern Hemisphere spring equinox, which marks the first day of the year 1402 on the Iranian calendar.
The event was the first time Athena Mediterranean Kitchen held a Nowruz celebration.
