Happy Nowruz 1398 (2019)
IranRotative Company and Esfarjani's Family take this moment to wish all the health and happiness on upcoming Norooz (Persian New Year 1398). We are also glad to take the opportunity to explain more about Norooz and its traditions.
Persian New Year, or Nowruz, explained
The holiday of spring and renewal, celebrated by millions of people worldwide, dates back thousands of years. Nowruz is the traditional Iranian festival of spring which starts at the exact moment of the vernal equinox, commencing the start of the spring. It is considered as the start of the New Year among Iranians. The name comes from Avestan meaning "new day/daylight". Nowruz is celebrated March 20/21 each year, at the time the sun enters Aries and Spring begins.
However, though ancient in origin, the modern celebration of Nowruz has unique characteristics that have been molded in the Iranian experience. Most significantly, the beliefs of Zoroastrianism have influenced Nowruz.
The renewal of natural life blended symbolically with the struggle between the dual Gods of Lightness and Darkness. Nowruz marked a turning point, the triumph of hope over despair, as the forces of darkness (winter) began to give way to the goodness represented by light (spring).
Nowruz has been throughout Iranian history a time of great celebration. Though the actual New Year's Day is March 21st, the celebration of Nowruz continues over several weeks with a number of customary symbolic rituals relating to the concept of renewal.
Haft Seen (Seven S)
Among these are the setting up of a household table which contains seven items (Haft Seen), the names of which each begin with the letter of the Persian alphabet “seen” (S in English).
The traditional New Year’s spread (sofre-ye haft sin) features seven items that begin with the letter S sabzeh (sprouts), samanu (pudding), sib (apple), serkeh (vinegar), sir (garlic), senjed (dried oleaster), and somaq (a fruity spice). The spread also typically includes other items such as a copy of the Qur’an, a mirror, and live goldfish.
Each item represents some aspect of renewal, such as fertility, beauty, love, health, and the like. Other rituals involve cleansing of the house and going on a picnic on the 13th day of Nowruz to both enjoy the renewal of nature and to toss out the lentil or wheat sprouts that have been part of the Haft Seen, thus symbolically ridding the household of “evil spirits.”
This event is followed by a two-week national holiday during which people visit each other’s homes in turn, sharing tea, sweets, and conversation. It is a joyful time of year, but no business gets done. Nowruz is perhaps the most visible sign of Iranian influence on neighboring peoples, being celebrated as a national holiday throughout Central Asia, the Caucasus, and as far west as the Balkans.