Happy Nowruz/Nawriz/Navruz/Novruz/Newroz everyone!

Nowruz is an ancient festival marking the arrival of Spring, celebrated across the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia, and the Balkans. Dating back at least 3,000 years, Nowruz is a celebration of rebirth and renewal, of the end of winter and the flowering of the Earth that warm weather brings. In the Iranian calendar, this Nowruz marks the beginning of the year 1398.

In this episode, Kamyar and Rustin talk reflect on the first year since Ajam's successful kickstarter, which has given the project enough funds to pay writers and launch new projects. They talk about what is to come in the new year, including a new film project and the return of the mixtapes series.

The conversation then moved to the topic of Nowruz and how it is celebrated, before revisiting Ajam editor Beeta Baghoolizadeh's [2012 piece on Haji Firuz and race in Iran](https://ajammc.com/2012/06/20/the-afro-iranian-community-beyond-haji-firuz-blackface-slavery-bandari-music/).