On March 17, 2012 The Nowruz Commission celebrated the ancient tradition of Nowruz at its Third Annual Gala Dinner. This year’s event, held at the Organization of American States in Washington, DC, was attended by diplomats, dignitaries, and members of the Afghan, Azeri, Georgian, Iranian, Iraqi, Kazakh, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Russian, Tajik, Turkish and Ukrainian communities.

Guests gathered in the Patio and Hall of Heroes for tea and hors d’oeuvres. This year’s event included cultural displays from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkey, in addition to the traditional presentation of the haftseen and haft meeveh. Dancers from the Silk Road Dance Company and a teahouse helped create the spirit of Nowruz.

This year’s program included a short video of the Nowruz Commission delegation trip to London, Rome, Istanbul, Tbilisi and Dushanbe. Nowruz Commission Chairman, Nasser Kazeminy, formally announced The Commission’s new programs, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon sent a Nowruz message through his Charges d’Affairs in Washington, DC, Mr. Paul Monteiro represented The White House, and Ms. Andeisha Farid was named Nowruz Commission Country Ambassador in Afghanistan. The event also featured musical performances representing the Azeri, Iranian, Kazakh, Kurdish, and Turkish cultures.