Nowruz - Part 27

The thirteenth day after Nowruz, Sizdah Bedar, is the time to release the sprouted greens, or the sabzeh from the haftseen table, back into nature, often in water, like a creek or a river. Throwing the sabzeh out is about taking the bad vibes absorbed by the sprouts grown specifically for Nowruz and tossing them into the water so that they drift away. 

People from different backgrounds and religions may state various reasons and sources for this tradition and celebrate according to their own beliefs, but the day and the tradition remain the same among all Iranians.

This day usually falls on April 1 or 2, but Iranians living in other countries often celebrate this day on the closest Sunday to the actual Sizdah Bedar because this day is not a national holiday in other countries like it is in Iran and families can gather without having to worry about having to work on a Sunday. 

Since today, Sunday, is the twelfth day of the year and it will be the thirteenth in a few hours in Iran, happy Sizdah Bedar!

Nowruz - Part 26

The names of the months in the Iranian calendar are:
(In Persian, there's no capitalization. I only capitalized these words because that's how they would be if they were written in English. Also, note the commas seem backward in the Persian lists; that's because Persian is written/read from right to left, meaning on the first line, فروردین, pronounced Farvardin, is the first word.)

spring: 

فروردین، اردیبهشت، خرداد
Farvardin, Ordibehesht, Khordad

summer:

تیر، مرداد، شهریور
Tir, Mordad, Shahrivar

fall:

مهر، آبان، آذر
Mehr, Aban, Azar

winter:

دی، بهمن، اسفند
Day, Bahman, Esfand

Nowruz - Part 25

The Iranian festival held on the thirteenth day of the first month of the Iranian calendar is called Sizdah Bedar (sizdah means "thirteen" and bedar is made of two words, be meaning "to" or "towards" and dar which has two different meanings, both of which could be relevant in this context: (1) "door" and (2) "valley" or "plain").
People go on picnics on Sizdah Bedar, which usually falls on April 1 or 2 and marks the end of the Nowruz holidays.

Nowruz - Part 24

On the thirteenth day after Nowruz, people in Iran go out, often for a picnic, with family and friends to celebrate the last day of the Nowruz holiday and to throw out the sabzeh.

Nowruz - Part 23

It's Nowruz.
Noosha is visiting her grandparents.
They're sitting at the haft-seen table.
Grandpa is holding Noosha's eidi in his hand.

 

Nowruz - Part 22

On Nowruz — a.k.a. New Year's Day in Iran, a.k.a. the first day of spring — Iranians usually have a dish called sabzi polo ba mahi, which is rice with herbs and fish.

Here's the recipe: https://www.hamisharafi.com/free-recipes/sabzi-polo-ba-mahi

Nowruz - Part 21

This is one of my favorite Nowruz songs:
https://youtu.be/lcZaLNyJVXQ?si=1spFJx3TQgXvB-0q

by Farhad Mehrad (1944 – 2002) 

I'll translate the first few lines of this beautiful song, just to give you an idea:

بوی عیدی، بوی توپ

booyeh eidi, booyeh toop
(eidi = "the present children get at Nowruz"; for families who don't possess many material things, the eidi can be as simple as a plastic "playing ball", or toop; booye means "the scent of")

the scent of eidi, the scent of a playing ball

بوی کاغذ رنگی

booyeh kâghaz rangi

(kâghaz is "paper" and rangi is "colored"; together, in this context, they make "confetti")

the scent of confetti

بوی تند ماهی دودی، وسط سفره نو

booyeh tond e mâhi doodi vasateh sofreyeh no

(tond means fast, strong, or sharp; in this context, "sharp"; mahi means "fish"; doodi means "smoked"; vassat means "in the middle of"; sofreyeh no means "a new tablecloth")

the sharp smell of smoked fish in the middle of the new tablecloth

بوی یاس جانماز ترمه مادر بزرگ

booyeh yâs e jânamâz e termeyeh mâdarbozorg

(yâs is the jasmine flower; jânamâz e termeyeh is "a beautiful silk prayer mat"; mâdarbozorg means "grandmother")

the scent of jasmine from Grandmother's silk prayer mat

با اینا زمستونو سر می کنم

bâ inâ zemestoon o sar mikonam

(bâ means "with"; ina means "these" as in these items/things or the idea/thought of these items; zemestoon o means "the winter"; sar mikonam means "let go by" or "bring to an end" or "tolerate")

with these things, I let the winter go by

با اینا خستگیمو در می کنم

bâ inâ khastegimo dar mikonam

(khastegimo means "my tiredness" or "my boredom"; dar mikonam means "get rid of")

with these things, I get rid of my tiredness/ boredom

شادی شکستن قلک پول

shâdiyeh shekastan e ghollak e pool

(shâdiyeh means "the joy of"; shekastan means "to break" or "breaking"; ghollak e pool is "the piggy bank")

the joy of breaking the piggy bank

وحشت کم شدن سکه عیدی از شمردن زیاد

vahshat e kam shodan e sekkeh eidi az shemordan e ziyad

(vahshat means "fear"; kam shodan means "to decrease" or "decreasing"... but in this context "losing"; sekkeh means "coin"; shemordan e ziyad means "counting many times" or "counting a lot")

the fear of losing eidi coins from counting them so much 

بوی اسکناس تا نخرده لای کتاب

booyeh eskenâs e tâ nakhordeh lâyeh ketâb

(eskenâs means "banknote" or "bill"; tâ nakhordeh means "unbent"; lâyeh ketâb means "in between the pages of a book")

the scent of the unbent banknote in the pages of a book

...

Nowruz - Part 20

The visits and family gatherings go on for twelve days since Nowruz, starting with the closest family members and gradually branching out.

Nowruz - Part 19

It's customary for children to receive a present from their older relatives during the Nowruz holidays, especially from parents and grandparents. Usually, this is a gold coin or money — often a crisp bill.

Nowruz - Part 18

What do Iranians usually do on the first day of the year? 

During the twelve days that follow Nowruz, the idea is to visit family members and close friends. People often start with the closest elders (parents) on the first day and then other relatives, older relatives first, on the following days.

So what people do depends on their age and their place in the family. For example, my grandparents stayed at home on the first day because all their children (and grandchildren) visited.

Nowruz - Part 17

People usually take a hot bath and wear brand new clothes from head to toe right before the change of the year. 

Nowruz - Part 16

Happy Nowruz!

 

Nowruz - Part 15

 

Nowruz - Part 14

It's New Year's Eve in Iran.

Nowruz - Part 13

 

Nowruz - Part 12

The current Iranian calendar was legally adopted on 31 March 1925, under the early Pahlavi dynasty. The first day of the year is the first day of spring in "the true solar year", "as it has been" ever so, with the Iranian New Year beginning at the midnight nearest to the instant of the northern spring equinox.

https://persianlanguageonline.com/complicated-calendar-conversions/ 

Nowruz - Part 11

my haftseen table in 2023

 

Nowruz - Part 10

FIVE DAYS UNTIL NOWRUZ!!!

So... when exactly is Nowruz?
The table below shows the exact time in different cities around the world.

Nowruz - Part 9

My lentils are growing...

 

Nowruz - Part 8

Right now in Iran, it's Tuesday, March 12, 2024, late afternoon (GMT+3:30), and people are getting ready to celebrate Chaharshanbeh Suri. They are gathering twigs for this ceremony. They will then make bonfires, some with huge flames and others with tiny ones, in the streets and alleyways. Some even celebrate on tops of buildings. Entire families jump over the fire while chanting and spend the night together eating, singing, and dancing.

Different parts of the country celebrate this last Tuesday night of the year in various ways. Some hold hands together and dance around the fire; others use firecrackers; and others have other ceremonies after leaping over the fire.

Happy Chaharshanbeh Suri!

Nowruz - Part 7

The last Tuesday before the vernal equinox, or the eve of the last Wednesday of the year, is called Chaharshanbeh Suri. 

Chaharshanbeh (also pronounced charshanbeh) means Wednesday. Suri has two meanings in Persian: one is (the color) "red" and the other is "festive." So the phrase could be literally translated "red Wednesday" or "festive Wednesday." 

On this night, which in 2024 falls on March 12, people gather some brushwood and make a bonfire in an open area and, after sunset, jump over it while singing sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to, meaning "may your redness be mine and my paleness yours." This is the first festive event of the Nowruz celebration, during which people celebrate health, light, and purity over sickness, darkness, and impurity. 

Jumping over the flames is the main part of the celebration. People also dance to music and, depending on the local tradition, the festivities may include other activities.

Nowruz - Part 6

The seven symbols are set on a beautiful handwoven cloth called termeh. 

https://persianhandicrafts.com/what-is-termeh

Nowruz - Part 5

Each item in haftseen symbolizes a concept:

Sabzeh symbolizes the rebirth and renewal of nature.
Samanu symbolizes fertility and strength.
Senjed symbolizes love and affection.
Serkeh symbolizes patience.
Seeb symbolizes beauty.
Seer symbolizes health. 
Sumac symbolizes the sunrise.
Sekkeh symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
Sonbol symbolizes spring's arrival.
Sa-at symbolizes time.

Although only seven of the items above are displayed, some of these seem to be present in most haftseens around the world. These are sabzeh (sprouts), serkeh (vinegar), seeb (apple), seer (garlic), and sekkeh (coins). Based on my personal experience, this may have to do with these items more accessible globally, as it may not be easy to acquire items such as senjed and samanu or even sumac in some areas. Of course, sabzeh may also not be available in most non-Iranian stores, but we can grow it ourselves if we begin the process two weeks before Nowruz. Also, now, with online stores providing most of the items needed for the haftseen table, I would recommend beginning the preparations earlier to allow enough time for shipping and delivery.

Nowruz - Part 4

In addition to the seven required items beginning with /s/ in Persian, people may place other symbolic items on their haftseen table. I already mentioned the goldfish in my previous post. Others include a mirror, candlesticks and candles, a Persian poetry book, decadent Persian pastries, and painted eggs.

Nowruz - Part 3

So we talked about sabzeh, wheatgrass or lentil sprouts grown in a dish, one of the seven symbols we set on a beautiful cloth called termeh to celebrate Nowruz. The other symbols are six of the following: 

seeb, or apple

seer, or garlic

serkeh, or vinegar

sumac, a crushed spice 

samanu, a sweet pudding made from wheat germ

senjed, or dried oleaster (or dried fruit of a lotus tree)

sonbol, or hyacinth

sekkeh, or coin

sa-at, or watch

Also, Iranians often celebrate Nowruz and the arrival of spring by displaying live goldfish among the symbols on their holiday tables. So what does fish represent in Nowruz? It represents life. It also adds a splash of color to the table. Not everyone displays fish, though. For example, I don't... simply because I know it might not survive and don't like to see it die before I can release it into the wild at the end of the celebration.

Nowruz - Part 2

I found these wonderful step-by-step instructions for growing the sabzeh for Nowruz:
http://www.mypersiankitchen.com/sabzeh-norouz-sprouts/
(The instructions are for wheat, but they work just as well for lentils.)

Nowruz - Part 1

Nowruz will arrive in two weeks, which means it's officially time for me to begin my pre-Nowruz activities:

1 - begin my spring cleaning

Now, I start this only two weeks before Nowruz because my cabin is small. If I lived in a bigger house, I would start over a month before the arrival of Nowruz, as most people do. My grandmother began hers about forty-five days before Nowruz because she liked to handwash all her Persian rugs and she lived in a big house.

2 - start sprouting my sabzeh

Setting the haftseen table is one of the most important traditions of Nowruz. Haftseen literally means seven seens (haft means seven), and seen is the sound of the letter s when reciting the Persian alphabet. We set, on a beautiful cloth, seven symbols, all beginning with the /s/ sound in Persian, and one of these is sabzeh, meaning sprouts. People often use wheat or lentils. Sometimes I do both, but usually I do just lentils, and no matter which I decide to use, I need to start two weeks before to make sure (1) that my sabzeh will have sprouted by Nowruz and (2) that it stays fresh for thirteen days after Nowruz.

Nowruz 2024

Nowruz is around the corner...

Reflections

From UK

 

Book Review