Woodland Hills : Celebration of Persian New Year Bittersweet

The firelight betrayed a flicker of sadness in Badri Borghei’s dark eyes as the Iranian exile watched the ancient ceremony and thought of her homeland.

Men, women and children took turns Tuesday night vaulting over seven fires set on the asphalt of the Woodland Hills cul-de-sac where Borghei now lives.

Held annually on the eve of March 20, the Persian New Year, the ritual is said to ease sorrow and suffering and infuse participants with new energy.

In ancient times, Persians believed the fires lit the way for their ancestors as they journeyed back from the nether world to celebrate the New Year, Borghei said.

These Iranian immigrants brought the fire ritual with them when they fled their homeland in 1979 after the Iranian Revolution.

Nowadays, a veil has fallen over their land, say the exiles, many of whom work to undermine the regime they fled.

One of the participants in the ritual, Parviz Kardan, a well-known actor among his people, says the Iranian government has put a price on his head.

Until the day they can return home, the Iranians--estimated to number about 600,000 in Southern California--say they want to preserve their traditions.

In each of the past few years, Borghei, an artist and mother of three, has hosted the New Year’s celebration at her home.

One of her three daughters, Karimeh, 22, was born in Tehran, and can read and write in Persian. On Tuesday night she took delight in the celebration.

But, she said, she has few memories of Iran. “I’m Persian through my mom,” she said. “She keeps the whole thing alive.”