Eide Shoma Mobarak SuperForest!
Today is a very special day because people all over the world are celebrating Norouz (New Day in Farsi)! Growing up in a family where I’ve been introduced to much of the beautiful Iranian culture, I have been lucky enough to experience this incredible holiday first hand.
When I was yonger, Norouz was pretty much about one thing: Grandma handing out some money to the kids (Ohhh yeah!), but my understanding of the significance of this first day of spring has evolved so much since then. The symbolism alone is enough to please and excite. But first let’s start with the basics. I know what some of you might be thinking…wait a minute New Years? That was months ago! Norouz is a celebration of the Iranian new year, which according to their calendar, begins on the first day of Spring. Makes sense, no?
So this ancient holiday began in Ancient Persia and is celebrated today throughout much of Asia, and of course, Iranians world wide. As I briefly mentioned before, it is a holiday marked by much symbolism and being new year, much of that symbolism has to do with rebirth and starting the year with a clean slate…tabula rasa. The actual celebration of Norouz differs from country to country but for the most part, it is a time when people get together with their families and friends, share a delicious meal, and welcome the new year with those they love. Sounds a lot like regular New Years celebrations but personally, I feel the preparation for Norouz is by far the best part. The days prior to Norouz are a cleansing process of sorts. Families usually use this time to clean the house or give it a new paint job. People make amends in their relationships with one another and as SuperForester Jackson informed us, there are traditions such as Chaharshanbe Suri in which jumping over a fire is supposed to be symbolic of releasing all of the negativity in your life and keeping the good. Another Norouz tradition is setting up what is called a “haft seen”, or Seven ‘S’s. The haft seen is the arrangement of seven symbolic items that serve as wishes for the new year. Here is the one we’ve set up at my house, we didn’t have all of the items, but you’ll get an idea of what a haft seen could look like…
A typical haft seen includes the following items…
1.) Sabzeh: wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish (symbolizing rebirth)
2.) Samanu: a sweet pudding made from wheat germ (symbolizing affluence)
3.) Senjed: the dried fruit of the oleaster tree (symbolizing love)
4.) Sīr: garlic (symbolizing medicine)
5.) Sīb: apples (symbolizing beauty and health)
6.) Somaq: sumac berries (symbolizing the sunrise)
7.) Serkeh: vinegar (symbolizing age and patience)
Beatiful! Nothing beats classy symbolism to start your year off right.
Wishing you all a wonderful Norouz,
Carla
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