Happy New Year! Tomorrow is Nowruz and the beginning of the New Year. Nowruz is the Persian New Year celebration that Iranian people celebrate at the beginning of spring. This festival is one of the ancient Iranian festivals that has its own special and beautiful customs.
From the celebrations that happen before and after Nowruz, to the traditional Haft Sin table setting and family gatherings. This time of the year is a good opportunity to introduce this traditional family celebration to you. Before Nowruz, one of the most interesting and important festivals was Chaharshanbe Suri, about which I wrote an article previously. Also after Nowruz for the end of this great celebration, Iranian people hold a big festival called Sizdah Be-dar, or in other words, Nature Day which is a big and meaningful event in Iran.
Haft Sin
I prefer to start with the Haft Sin table because it is the most beautiful and important tradition among Persian traditions! The Haft Sin table is a symbolic table where each part of the table is a symbol of a special wish for the New Year. This table consists of “seven symbols” that in Farsi begin with the letter “Sin”, that’s why the name of this table is Haft Sin table, which means seven sins symbol. The first symbol is the apple and the apple in the Haft Sin table is a symbol of health, when people put an apple on this table they wish healthiness for next year. The second one is Samanoo, Samanoo is an Iranian dessert made with wheat germ, a sweet and delicious dessert that symbolizes the sweetness of love and affection on the Haft Sin table.
The third symbol is Senjed which is for a long life with health. Another one is Sabze before Nowruz Iranians grew wheat, barley, citrus, or any other type of grain and put that on the Haft Sin table, and this beautiful green is a symbol of nature, spring, and birth. Garlic, this interesting symbol is for the treatment of diseases. The next Sin is Sumac, which is a red and sour seasoning that symbolizes beauty and freshness in Haft Sin. Sepand is a symbol of removing negative energy and attracting positive energy.
On the Nowruz table, there are several other options. Each option is a unique symbol that people have added to the Haft Sin table over the years. For example wheat, it has always been a special item for Iranians over the years, and people put beautiful bunches of wheat on the Haft Sin table as a sign of sustenance. Mirrors, candles, flowers, and other items like Hafez’s book that is the favorite poetry book for Iranians. On this night, Iranians read Hafez’s poetry together.
Family Gathering
Another tradition in the Nowruz holiday is gathering. Nowruz is a big holiday and people go on holiday from 5 to 15 days, in these days Iranians spend quality time with their family and visit their relatives, and also throw several celebrations and parties with their friends. For Iranians, The New Year holiday is the best time to spend time with the ones they love.
Food and Sweets
There are many sweets and several dishes for this big and wonderful celebration that I introduce to you in another article. Each city in Iran has a special tradition. In addition, there are different types of sweets from different cities in Iran. For example, Qottab and many other sweets like Gaz, Persian chickpea cookies, and Naan berenji which you can see Iranian sweets in the pastry section of this website. The big tradition is the dinner on New Year’s Eve, Iranians all eat a common meal on this specific night, “Sabzi Polo ba Mahi” which is a delicious dish.
“Sabzi Polo ba Mahi” means cooked fish with a special rice cooked with fresh herbs. Iranians serve this food with different side dishes like sour orange and lemon, and different types of pickles for example garlic pickles.
Nowruz Spirit
On this holiday, artists make movies, series, and theaters related to Nowruz and there are various concerts and carnivals with people in different cities of Iran to celebrate. Chefs cook foods, sweets, and Snacks for Nowruz, and other artists make clothes, sculptures, and other works of art such as colored candles and beautiful things related to Nowruz. Every year, people in the busy and lively market before Nowruz, buy these artworks for themselves. Many series are famous as Nowruz series and people are interested in watching them every Nowruz.
Shopping before the Persian New Year, Nowruz, has become a tradition for many people. It is common to buy new clothes and Haft Sin symbols for the occasion. In addition, some people like to change their home furnishings for the New Year and therefore, they go out and buy new items for their house. One of pleasant tradition is happen in Nowruz markets is some people go to bazars and markets and sing special song about Nowruz and give Nowruz spirit to people who are shopping before Nowruz.
In the end, Nowruz means spring, it means renewal, it means that a year has passed with its good and bad so that we can welcome a new year so that we can be a better person, and make better decisions. For us Iranians, Nowruz means giving thanks for the past year, for having our loved ones, for the future, and for the fact that a new year has come and we can be better than yesterday. In this blessed celebration, we rejoice with our loved ones, eat delicious food, and welcome the New Year.
