Only three days left until Nowruz...
There is much to do as the first day of spring approaches. Haftseen (haft means seven; seen is the sound of the letter s in Persian) is a major tradition of Nowruz, the Iranian new year, and preparing the haftseen takes a while.
The haftseen table includes seven specific items, all starting with the letter s, or seen. The items symbolically correspond to seven creations:
sabzeh - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
samanoo - a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing wealth
senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love
sîr - garlic - symbolizing medicine
sîb - apples - symbolizing beauty and health
serkeh - vinegar - symbolizing age and patience
sekkeh - coins - symbolizing prosperity and wealth
The sabzeh and the samanoo need to be prepared several days in advance...
