Nowruz: What You Need to Know About the Iranian Festival
In every country, there's an iconic national festivity.
There's Cinco de Mayo for Mexico, St. Patrick's Day for Ireland, and of course,
who wouldn't know about the 4th of July. As for Iran, they have Nowruz. It's
celebrated by millions of Iranians everywhere and is formally recognized as an
international holiday by the UN. But, what exactly is it?
Nowruz: The Persian New Year
Nowruz literally means "new day." It's the Persian
celebration for their New Year; a farewell to the cold days of winter, and a welcome
to the first dawn of spring.
It lands on the stroke of midnight of March 21st, on the
first day of the vernal equinox. It's a celebration for the end of the old year
and beginning of Farvardin, which is the first month of the Solar Hijri
algorithmic calendar - a more accurate intercalation system than the conventional
Gregorian.
The Preparation
Much like Christmas, people prepare for Nowruz weeks before
the actual day of the festival. But, instead of setting up trees and hanging
socks by the fireplace, Iranians go into spring cleaning mode. To truly say
goodbye to the outgoing year, all clutter and lingering grime are cleared so
everyone can welcome the incoming one fresh and renewed.
Families also set up items that symbolize their hope for the
New Year called "haft-seen" or the seven Ss. Here's what they mean:
·
Sabzeh: Grass
or sprout that grows continuously until the day of Nowruz for rebirth
·
Senjed: A
dried, sweet fruit from a lotus tree for love
·
Sib: Apples
for beauty and wellness
·
Seer: Garlic
for overall health
·
Samanu: Sweet
pudding for fertility and wealth
·
Serkeh: Vinegar
for the wisdom that comes with age
·
Somaq: Red
spice made from crushed Sumac berries for the first sunrise of the year
Aside from these, families add their own symbols for hope like
coins (Sekkeh) for prosperity and hyacinth flowers (Sonbol) for the scent of
spring.
These haft-seen can also be seen on non-Iranian households
in the US as a sign of goodwill to their Persian neighbors. The most notable
example is the then-first lady Michelle Obama setting up her own seven Ss
during the Persian New Year to strengthen Iran-America relations.
The Celebration
There's more to Nowruz than spring cleaning and setting up
fruits. The festival lasts for 13 days, during which Iranians celebrate by
following communal traditions like:
Qaashoq-Zani:
Children wear veils and visit 7 houses. When they arrive, they bang pots with
spoons to call the homeowner and, in return, get gifts. Think of it like
trick-or-treating during Halloween.
Chahrshanbe Souri: This
is the festival of fire, and it happens on the eve of the last Wednesday of
Nowruz. During this time, people sing to each other "Sorkhi-e man az to/
Zardi-e to az man," which translates to "Give me your fiery red color
and take back my wintry shallowness." Iranians also light up bonfires and
jump above them to banish misfortunes from the previous year and materialize
their hopes for the upcoming days.
Aside from that, people invite friends and relatives for a
meal of Sabzi polow ba mahi (Whitefist served in herbed rice) and kuku sabzi
(baked eggs with tons of herbs and spices).
The
Persian New Year festival of Nowruz is all about renewal. It starts on the
first day of spring and is welcomed by dancing, singing, bonfire jumping, and
of course, pot-banging. But, before that, cleaning and setting up the heft-seen
is a must to say goodbye to the sadness and bring forth happiness for the
upcoming year. To learn more, and to encourage stronger Iranian-American
relations, you can ask your Persian neighbors and celebrate with them
during their special holiday.
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