San Antonio hosts Persian autumn gathering

The Mehr Foundation of San Antonio hosted the Ancient Persian Autumn Festival on Saturday at the main district office of Alamo Colleges. The event centered on the theme "Letters to Iran," providing attendees with an opportunity to write messages to the Persian homeland.

The foundation, a nonprofit managed by the San Antonio Persian Cultural Society, was established to promote Persian arts and culture. The gathering draws inspiration from Mehregan, an ancient celebration dedicated to Mehr, a symbol of light, friendship, and kindness. The holiday is also associated with harvest and abundance.

Mojgan Panah, president of the Mehr Foundation, explained that the event serves as a gathering point for the Iranian and extended San Antonio communities to learn about Persia. "It's really all things Iranian or Persian, as some of us say, and a time for the community, the Iranian community and the extended San Antonio community to come out and learn about Persia," Panah said.

Panah noted that the current turmoil in Iran motivated the creation of a safe space for emotional expression. Attendees were invited to write letters to share their thoughts and drop them into a designated box. The foundation plans to digitize these letters and publish them on its website and social media channels. Old Persian stamps were also provided as memorabilia for participants.

Nazanin Ghahremani attended the event to submit her own letter. Before placing her note in the box, she addressed the Iranian diaspora directly. "I would like to say that all the Iranian Americans that live outside of Iran, we fully support you, we love you and encourage you to fight for your freedom and never stop believing that you are meant to have the same freedom as everybody else around the world," she said.

Sahba Shayani, a lecturer in Persian language at the University of California, Los Angeles, delivered a lecture on ancient Persian language and culture. The program also included traditional Persian music, dancing, and food.

The festival concluded with the collection of letters for future publication, marking the end of the day's scheduled cultural activities.