Now rúz – First Day of Spring – Celebration. Mar 20, 2023.

The Persian New Year and the First Day of Spring

This Spring is the celebration of “Now rúz” – the Persian New Year, it dates back approximately 4,000 years and is rooted in Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion the predates Christianity and Islam. It iis always on the Spring Equinox. Today it is a cultural festival that celebrates the warm, and new beginning that Spring brings. Now rúz means “New Day”.

Like most holidays around the world, people prepare for it by cleaning their homes, and getting rid of clutter to start fresh in the new year. Then one week before, children place lentils in a dish with a wet cotton ball so they sprout into a mass of green blades on the day of Now rúz.

New Year’s Eve is – “Chahar Shanbeh Soori”

This is the celebration of the light’s (the good) victory over the darkness (the bad). People make bonfires on the streets or in their yard and jump over them, shouting: “Sorkhi to az man or zardie man az to!” This translates to “Give me your beautiful red color and take back my sickly yellow pallor.” Families get together and serve different kinds of pastries, and Ajil [Trail mix]

The “Sofreh Haft Seen” (Nowruz table)

Another important Nowruz tradition is the Sofreh Haft Seen, or the table setting that includes seven specific items starting with the letter ‘S’ (or Seen in the Persian alphabet). This table setting is prepared right before Nowruz and remains out for two weeks, or until Sizeh Bedar, a picnic celebrated to mark the end of the Nowruz celebrations.

1. Somagh (sumac) : symbolizes the color of sunrise
2. Serkeh (vinegar): symbolizes age and patience
3. Senjed (dried fruit from lotus tree): symbolizes love
4. Samanoo (sweet pudding): symbolizes affluence
5. Sabzeh (sprouts): symbolizes rebirth
6. Sib (apple): symbolizes health and beauty
7. Sir (garlic): symbolizes medicine

Other elements to include:
Candles for enlightenment and happiness – A mirror symbolizing reflexion and honesty – Decorated eggs for fertility – Seven branches from gnarled trees (olive and pomegranate symbolizes our life’s passage) – A poetry book (almost always either the Shahnama or the Divan of Hafez)

Special Foods to eat at during Naw-rúz celebration.

Persian families eat the same traditional foods no matter where they are in the world to celebrate Now-rúz. Although they might vary in preparation or style, these symbolic dishes are a very important part of the Persian new year tradition.

Sabzi Polo Mahi: The main course is usually rice with green herbs served with fish. Fish has long symbolized life and good luck and green is the color symbolizing fruitfulness.
Ash-e Reshteh: A hearty soup cooked with noodles, which is said to symbolically help one succeed in life.
Kookoo-ye sabzi: An omelette-like souffle made with herbs and green vegetables. It is believed that eating kookoo-ye sabzi it will bring prosperity and happiness in the year to come.
Reshteh Polo: a rice dish cooked with noodles.