Spring is right around the corner, which also means it’s Persian New Year (year 1392!) and time for lots of Persian sweets, herbed rice with fish and fresh dollar bills. Persian New Year is the exact moment that winter becomes spring, also known as the Spring Equinox. Persians love to celebrate, and the New Year season is no exception> The Nowruz traditions are all meaningful and fun – starting with Chahar-Shanbeh Soori – a cleansing ritual done by jumping over a fire… or candle if you live in Manhattan, the Tuesday night before the New Year – and ending with Sizdah Bedar – a picnic festival held 13 days after the New Year.
 |
| Nowruz (Persian New Year) Haft Seen Table |
The Persian New Year is called Nowruz which translates to ‘New Day’. Perhaps the most important part of the celebration is the traditional tablescape called the Haft Seen (7 ‘Seens’ – ‘seen’ is the Farsi equivalent of the letter S). The table should contain a number of symbolic items including 7 (or more) items beginning with the Farsi letter ‘Seen’. Wikipedia has a great run-down of all the traditions and the many different 7seen items and their meanings.
This year, what is normally the media console, houses my mini-Haft Seen (thank you Manhattan-sized apartment!).
 |
| Nowruz Haft Seen close up |
My haft seen this year has the following ‘seen’ items: Seeb (apple), Senjed (dried oleaster fruit… to be honest I have no idea what this is haha!), somagh (sumac), sekeh (coins), serkeh (vinegar), seer (garlic) and sonbol (hyacinth). There are also a few other items like eggs for fertility, mirrors/candles for lightness and goldfish for life .
 |
| Nowruz Haft Seen – fun with filters! |
So at 7:01:56am ET (or click here to find out when spring starts in your part of the world) this Wednesday, in practice of one of my favorite Nowruz traditions, make sure to put something sweet in your mouth to guarantee a sweet year. To all of you reading this, thank you and wishing you a happy, healthy year filled with laughter, love and of course lots of delicious food! Nowruz mobarak!
7seen mobarak, Ahu joon!
Nice goldfishies!!
PJJ
thanks, you too!
Happy Noruz to all!!
To celebrate, I think I am going to have a chelo kabab. Or maybe two. Or maybe sabzi poli mahi. 🙂
sounds good to me!
Seems like your gold fishies never tire from swimming! what is your secret to keep them alive and happy???
Love your Haftseen..
A very special lady got them for me! 🙂 thanks 🙂
I never knew that Persians celebrate new year in Spring, very cool! So now what happens to that fish 😉
Yep! 🙂 Well usually people keep them around as long as they can as pets but I personally always had bad luck with my fish’s… umm… mortality. So my mom got me a cute glass with goldfish handpainted on it, and when I fill it with water it almost looks real. 🙂
Happy Nowruz to you, ahu!
Thank you Angie! 🙂
Happy New Year, Ahu! May. It be one filled with many happy times sharing the table with friends and loved ones! ~ David
Thank you for the lovely message David!