NOROUZ: The Iranian New Year Celebration
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In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Iranian New Year Celebration,
NOROUZ, always begins on the first day of Spring. The year changes on the
Vernal Equinox or TAHVEEL which may occur on March 20, 21 or 22. It makes
its arrival at the precise moment that the sun crosses the Equator. This
celebration and its rituals go back to at least three thousand years ago.
NOROUZ ceremonies are symbolic representation of the two ancient concepts,
"END and the REBIRTH", and "GOOD and EVIL".
To this day, a few weeks before the new year, Iranians thoroughly clean and
rearrange their homes. They make new clothes, bake pastries and germinate
seeds as signs of renewal. The ceremonial cloth known as SOFREH-YE
HAFT-SEEN is set up in each household.
Troubadours, referred to as HADJEE FEEROUZ, disguise themselves with makeup
and wear brightly colored outfits of satin. The HADJEE FEEROUZ, singing and
dancing parade as a carnival through the streets with tambourines, kettle
drums and trumpets to spread good cheer and the news of the coming new
year.
SHAB-E CHAAHAAR SHANBEH SOURY
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On the eve of the last Wednesday of the year, literally the eve of Red
Wednesday or the eve of celebration, bonfires are lit in public places and
people leap over the flames shouting "SORKHI-E TO AZMANO ZARDI-E MANAZTO",
literally meaning "Give me your beautiful red color and take
back my yellowish sickly pallor." With the help of fire and light, symbols
of goodness, we hope to see our way through this unlucky night to the
arrival of Spring's longer days.
In deed, Halloween is a Celtic variation of SHAB-E CHAAHAAR SHANBEH SOURY.
In order to make wishes come true, it is customary to prepare special foods
and distribute them on that night. A special snack called AJEEL-E CHAAHAAR
SHANBEH SOURY or AAJEEL-E MOSHGEL GOSHA, the latter literally meaning
unraveler of the difficulties, is made by mixing seven dried nuts and
fruits.
SOFREH-YE HAFT-SEEN
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A few days prior to the new year a special cover, called SOFREH-YE
HAFT-SEEN, is spread out on a Persian carpet or on a table in every Iranian
household. This ceremonial table consists of seven dishes, each one
beginning with the letter "S" called "SEEN" (like letter "R" in English
which is called "AAR"). The number seven has been sacred in Iran since
ancient times and the seven
dishes stand for seven angelic heralds of life - Rebirth, Health,
Happiness, Prosperity, Joy, Patience and Beauty. The symbolic dishes
consist of:
1- SABZEH: Sprout, grown lentil or wheat, representing rebirth.
2- SAMANOO: A pudding in which common wheat sprout are cooked, transformed
and given a new life as a sweet and represents the ultimate sophistication
of Iranian cooking.
3- SEEB: Apple, representing health and beauty.
4- SEER: Garlic, representing medicine.
5- SENJED: Sweet dry fruit of the Lotus tree representing love. It is said
that when the Lotus tree is in full bloom, its fragrance and its fruit
makes people fall in love.
6- SERKEH: Vinegar, representing age and patience.
7- SOMAAGH: Sumac berries, representing the color of the sun rise. With the
appearance of the sun, Good conquers Evil.
To confirm the hopes and wishes expressed by the traditional foods, other
elements and symbols are also put on the "SOFREH". Two books of tradition
and wisdom are laid out. A Holly book like KORAN for Moslems and AVESTA for
Zoroastrians and a volume of the poems of HAAFEZ, one of the greatest lyric
Iranian poets of the fourteenth century. A few coins, called SEKEH in
Persian, are placed on the "SOFREH" to represent prosperity and wealth. A
basket of painted eggs representing fertility. An orange floating in a bowl
of water representing the earth floating in the space and a goldfish in a
bowl representing life and the end of astral year, Pisces. Nearby is a
brazier for burning wild rue, a sacred herb whose smoldering fumes ward off
the evil spirits. On either side of a mirror is holding two candelabra,
holding a flickering candle for each child in the family. The candles
represent enlightment. With hope of fire and light, we hope for happiness,
through the coming year. The mirror represents the images and reflections
of creation as we celebrate a new and ancient Iranian tradition and belief
that creation took place on the first day of spring.
A few hours prior to TAHVEEL, the transition to the new year, family and
friends sit around SOFREH-YE HAFT-SEEN. As the sun enters the Constellation
Aries from Pisces on the stroke of the Equinox, TAHVEEL, the passage is
announced by firing cannons and on radio and television.
SEEZDAH BEDAR
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The new year celebration continues for twelve days after TAHVEEL. On the
thirteenth day of NOROUZ called SEEZDAH-BEDAR, literally meaning outdoor
thirteen, entire families leave home to carry trays of sprouted seeds,
SABZEH, in a procession to go picnic in a cool grassy place far from home.
They throw SABZEH into the water and complete NOROUZ, the celebration of
the end of one year and the rebirth of another.
New year traditional menu
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- SABZEE POLO MAAHEE: Rice with fresh herb and fish representing rebirth
and life.
- Bread, cheese and fresh herb representing prosperity.
- Noodle soup, called AASH, representing the Gordian Knot Of Life. Eating
this symbolically helps towards unraveling life's knotty problems.
P.S. If you hadn't guessed already, the months in the Persian calendar are
the same as those seen in astrology charts or horoscopes.
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