SEOUL (The Korea Herald) - For the first time in Korea, the Iranian Embassy showcased one of its most important national holidays.

Noruz, widely known as the Persian New Year, is celebrated and observed by the Iranian people.
Newly arrived Iranian Ambassador Ahmad Masoumifar explained that it is a holiday also celebrated in Central Asia, Caucasus, South Asia, northwestern China, the Crimea and some parts of the Balkans.
“We organized this event because we want to bring our two peoples closer together,” he told The Korea Herald.
Noruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Iranian calendar.
“Noruz is a celebration of the renewal of nature after the slumber of winter,” he said. “It goes as far back as records go.”
“Noruz is connected to nature and people and it helps to bring people back to nature,” said Masoumifar.
Last year, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the International Day of Noruz, describing it as a spring festival of the Persian origin which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.
“Since the United Nations recognized Noruz as an international day, we want to introduce Noruz to other people in other countries,” he said. “It is a common heritage of humanity.”
To introduce Noruz to South Korea, the embassy held a special event with Iranian food and Persian music to entertain guests.
The traditional musical troupe Pegah was specially flown in from Europe, where they are on constant tour, for this special event. Pegah also performed traditional Iranian music at the Seoul Center for Culture and Tourism in Myeong-dong.
But this was just a small taste of things to come.
Masoumifar announced that next year there will be a slew of cultural events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
While the details are still being decided, the Iranian cultural week will tentatively be held in August and will be filled with music performances, art exhibitions and movie screenings.
“Knowing each other, how they perform their cultural and traditional events is very important and the only way to break barriers,” he said.