BILL NUMBER: ACR 91	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Nazarian
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Atkins, Bloom, Dababneh,
Quirk-Silva, Ting, Wagner, and Weber)
   (Coauthors: Senators Mitchell and Yee)

                        FEBRUARY 4, 2014

   Relative to the Persian New Year.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 91, as introduced, Nazarian. Persian New Year.
   This measure would recognize the Persian New Year celebration.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, Nowr?z, meaning the "New Day" is the name of the New Year
in the Persian calendar; and
   WHEREAS, Nowr?z marks the first day of spring and the beginning of
the year in the Persian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the
astronomical Northward equinox, which usually occurs on March 20 or
the following day depending on where it is observed; and
   WHEREAS, In Persian mythology, King Jamshid is credited with the
founding of Nowr?z, while others suggest that it was founded by
Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of its origin.
Celebrating the Vernal equinox may also have been an old Babylonian
tradition known before 2340 B.C.; and
   WHEREAS, Nowr?z is celebrated and observed principally in Iran and
has spread to other parts of the world, including parts of Central
Asia, Caucasus, Northwestern China, the Crimea, and some groups in
the Balkans. In Iran, Nowr?z is an official holiday lasting for 13
days during which most national functions, including schools, are off
and festivities take place. Also the Canadian parliament, by
unanimous consent, passed a bill on March 30, 2009 to add Nowr?z to
the national calendar of Canada; and
   WHEREAS, The most important activity in the celebration of Nowr?z
is setting the "haft-seen table" which literally means a table of
seven items that start with the letter "s." The table often includes
items such as sumac (crushed spice of berries), senjed (sweet dry
fruit of a lotus tree), serkeh (vinegar), and seeb (apples); and
   WHEREAS, Nowr?z invites us to contemplate nature's power of
renewal and rejuvenation, to look more deeply, not just into the
green world outside, but at our human nature as well; and
   WHEREAS, For the people celebrating Nowr?z, it is a time to
appreciate their rich heritage and to move forward with hope for a
prosperous new year ahead filled with health, wealth, love, joy, and
success; now therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature joins the Persian and other
communities throughout the state in celebrating March 20, 2014, as
the beginning of the Persian New Year and extends best wishes for a
peaceful and prosperous Nowr?z to all Californians; and be it further

   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the authors for appropriate distribution.