On March 26, 2019, the Alwaleed Program co-sponsored a celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year that takes place on the day of the spring equinox and is celebrated throughout the Persianate world, most of which consists of Muslim-majority countries.
The event featured a vibrant haft sin table that displayed seven items beginning with the letter sin that symbolize concepts such as abundance, prosperity and new life to usher in the new year. Over 200 guests also enjoyed fresh fruit and Iranian sweets alongside live performances of poetry, song and music from different parts of the Persianate world.
This event was organized by the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies in collaboration with the Harvard Semitic Museum, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Harvard GSAS Iranian Student Association, the Harvard College Iranian Association and the Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program.