For the last 40+ years, a vibrant Los Angeles community celebrates the annual “Navasartian Games and Festival,” which features food, entertainment, and of course, the infamous games and sports of the original holiday. A few notable changes are that the celebrations take place on July Fourth weekend (not the middle of August) and in place of the tents and ashughs (traveling troubadours) are business booths and pop stars. While most of the food and games themselves vastly diverge from those of antiquity (animal sacrifice has been all but gutted, to excuse the pun), and the pagan aspect is gone, the festival spirit of Navasard is still alive and well at these games. For the past nearly-30 years, the East coast of the United States hosts a similar event. (Photo: The opening ceremony of the 39th Navasartian Games in Los Angeles, California. Asbarez)