Iranians Celebrate New Year

Iranians began their New Year festivities as spring arrived for 13 days following the ancient custom of celebrating the vernal equinox.

For Iranians, Nowrouz is a celebration of new beginnings, a time to visit relatives and friends, and pay respect to senior family members.

Meaning ‘new day,’ Nowrouz is celebrated by over 300 million people worldwide on March 20.

Days before the Iranian New Year’s Eve, people carefully clean their homes, go to markets and traditional bazaars to clothe themselves in new garments and assemble dainty edibles, flowers and Nowrouz ornaments, including flowers and green grass.

An important part of the Iranian New Year rituals is setting out the Haft Seen (Seven “S”s) table.

Each family sets seven items on a table and all these seven items begin with the letter “S” in the Persian language.

A Haft Seen usually includes: Seeb (apple), Sabze (green grass), Serke (vinegar), Samanoo (a delicacy made from sprouted wheat), Senjed (a special kind of berry), Sekke (coins), and Seer (garlic).

While the term Nowrouz first appeared in Persian records in the second century CE, there is evidence suggesting that the celebration may be much older.

Tradition takes Nowrouz as far back as the time of King Jamshid when the life of Indo-Iranian settlers depended on farming and the coming of spring, when nature re-awakened and flowers bloomed.

The United Nations General Assembly recognized March 21st as the International Day of Nowrouz during its sixty-fourth session on Feb. 23, 2010.