HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A Nowruz haft-seen altar in a comedy club is a reflection of how much the community has come together throughout the pandemic — by sharing cultural customs and lots of laughs. 

Persian comedian, Tehran, set up the display in light of the Persian New Year holiday and hopes Angelenos to take this opportunity to enjoy the symbol of a new beginning.

“Nowruz is the Persian New Year, but it’s also the first day of spring, so technically, it’s the first day of the year for everyone in the world. They celebrate Nowruz in many different places,” Tehran said.

One of those places is the Laugh Factory.

A recent fundraiser with the Midnight Mission, which included a virtual audience, spotlighted the Persian holiday, giving the community a platform to laugh together.

“Nowruz has been very difficult with the pandemic. Nowruz is typically a time of gathering families and friends and enjoying and celebrating and bringing in the New Year together. With the pandemic, that has become harder and harder, and even though we can’t touch each other, we can definitely still touch each other’s lives,” Tehran explained. 

Comics like Tehran have not let the pandemic stop them from sharing what we all need most, a little bit of joy.

Whether it is virtual shows or on Instagram live, Tehran stays focused on his mission of bringing people together.

“As Jamie Masada, the owner of the Laugh Factory, always says, laughter is the best medicine, and he tells me that I basically am a doctor, which I always try to tell my Persian dad, but he never agrees. With comedy, we get to connect with people. When people cry, even in the same room, they are still crying alone, but when we laugh, we all laugh together,” he said.