Nowruz, the Persian New Year, brings 30 million people together to enjoy delicious food while celebrating their shared heritage and customs.
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If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, March brings with it the promise of Spring. And it also hails the approach of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, held on the Spring Equinox. Celebrated by around 30 million people worldwide, Nowruz is an ancient celebration that is embraced by those of Persian heritage. And, like me, those who have fallen in love with the culture and the food.
Originally celebrated as a religious feast day by Zorastrians, Nowruz has been observed for over 3,000 years. Before the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century, Zoroastrianism was the main religion in the area. Although Zoroastrianism declined in popularity, with Islam becoming the most common religion in Persia, the Nowruz celebration survived the transition. It continues to be religiously significant for the remaining Zoroastrians, but Persians of all religions will mark this day as a symbol of the return of the Spring.
Nowruz means ‘new day’
in Farsi
Nowruz means ‘new day’ in Farsi – a fitting description for the day that marks the beginning of the new Persian year. It focuses on fertility and new life.
Full of rituals and symbolism, Nowruz is a uniquely Persian festival that brings people around the world together to celebrate their shared heritage. And, of course, food plays an important part in the festivities.
When is Nowruz?
Nowruz is held on the Spring Equinox, so the date varies from year to year. Although the UN has now assigned 21 March as the official date of ‘the International Day of Nowruz’, the actual date falls somewhere between 19 and 22 March, depending on the equinox and the calendar.
Saturday, March 20th at 2:37AM PT
2021 Nowruz celebration in united states
In 2021, Nowruz in the US will be on Saturday, March 20th. The clock officially ticks over to the new year at 2:37 am (Pacific Time).
How Do You Celebrate Nowruz?
The preparations for Nowruz often start weeks beforehand. Persians begin to ready their homes to welcome in the New Year in early March, in a process known as Khaneh-Tekani.
What is Kahneh-Tekani?
Kahneh-Tekani translates to ‘shaking down the house’. Essentially, it is an extensive spring cleaning – clearing out the dust of Winter and renewing the house ready for the Spring. The whole family joins in to do the work.
Kahneh-Tekani involves more than just dusting and vacuuming. It is also the time to repaint walls, declutter the accumulated junk of the past year, and clean from top to bottom.
As well as getting rid of old clothes and household goods, Persians will use this period of Spring cleaning to purchase new clothes for the upcoming year.
Once the cleaning is done, the house is filled with fragrant flowers, such as hyacinths and narcissus, to mark the new life that appears after the Winter.
Since Persians usually gather together to celebrate Nowruz, this cleaning ritual is partly a practical matter – getting the home ready to receive guests. But it is also a symbolic activity marking the changing seasons. Kahneh-Tekani represents the clearing of the slate, ready to start the New Year.
During this period of cleaning and renewal, Persians begin to prepare the Haft-Sin, a table set with ritual objects that symbolize the New Year. And they will start to sprout sabzeh (wheatgrass) ready to include in their Haft-Sin.
What is the Sofre-ye Haft-Sin?
A sofreh is a tablecloth, traditionally spread on the floor ready for a Persian meal. And Haft-Sin translates as ‘the seven Ss’, describing the seven symbolic items traditionally placed on the tablecloth before Nowruz.
Persians will set up the beautifully decorated table in advance of Nowruz itself, in preparation for the upcoming festivities.
At the head of the table/tablecloth, furthest from the door, will be a mirror, representing self-reflection. The mirror is flanked by candles, which bring light to the Haft-Sin.
Painted eggs represent fertility, while a live goldfish (in water) symbolizes the movement of life. If a live goldfish isn’t practical, an orange might be placed in a bowl of water instead.
Hyacinth flowers indicate new life and the start of Spring, while coins represent wealth and prosperity.
Traditionally, a Haft-Sin will include seven symbolic items, all beginning with S. These are:
- Sabzeh – sprouted grains, usually wheatgrass, represent rebirth and new life.
- Samanu – a traditional Persian sweet paste made from germinated wheat. It represents the sweetness of life.
- Seer – the Farsi word for garlic, seer indicates medicine and taking care of your health.
- Senjed – dried Persian olives (also known as Russian olives) symbolize love.
- Seeb – an apple represents beauty and health.
- Serkeh – vinegar is a symbol of the wisdom that comes with age.
- Sumac – a spice made from crushed red berries, sumac represents the dawn of the new day.
Many Muslim families will include a copy of the Quran on their Haft-Sin. Other families will place a book of poetry by Hafez, Iran’s most loved poet or The Shahnameh, a book of Persian folklore tales.
Other foods are part of the Haft-Sin too, including bread, fruit, and sweet pastries.
What is Chaharshanbe Suri?
The Wednesday before Nowruz is Chaharshanbe Suri , a Persian fire festival that continues the theme of renewal and preparation for the New Year. The name means ‘Red Wednesday’.
People gather outdoors and light fires, which they then leap over to represent purification. A form of trick-or-treating called Gashogh Zani also takes place. Children and adults alike run through the streets banging spoons on pans to scare away bad luck. They’ll knock on doors as they go, asking for treats.
Celebrating Nowruz
Nowruz is a 13-day festival, starting on the Spring Equinox. Families start by gathering at the home of their eldest member, where they pay their respects. Feasts and parties continue throughout the thirteen days. Children receive money, small toys, and treats from their relatives to celebrate the beginning of the New Year.
A common tradition is placing freshly pressed money in the pages of the book from the haft-sin table. The eldest in the family or group opens the pages and disperses the money to the youngest children and reads passages from the book.
Certain Persian dishes are popular during Nowruz. These include:
Sabzi Polo Mahi – a herbed rice and fish dish, Sabzi Polo Mahi is inextricably Nowruz. It’s customary to eat this dish on the first day of the New Year.
Reshteh Polo – another rice dish, this one layered with noodles and dried fruit, and flavored with rosewater and saffron. It represents good wishes for the New Year.
Kuku Sabzi – a frittata made with finely chopped cilantro, chives, and dill, this dish is a lighter, vegetarian option that is popular at Nowruz. The herbs symbolize rebirth, while the eggs represent fertility.
Persian sweets and pastries are also eaten during Nowruz, as are dried fruits and candied nuts.
Sizdah-Bedar
The final day of Nowruz is Sizdah-Bedar and it is traditionally a day when Persian families head out into nature to enjoy the newly arrived Spring.
They’ll take the sprouted sabzeh from the Haft-Sin and throw it into running water, representing the release of the old year to make way for the new.
And food plays an important part here too, as families picnic outdoors.
What Nowruz Means to Me
Over the past 10+ years since meeting my husband, I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating in this amazing holiday. It was a discovery of a cultured I’d never encountered. I loved it so much, I started the tradition of hosting a Nowruz party for our non-Persian friends every year. My mother-in-law taught me everything about the customs and would bring more than half of the dishes (thankfully!).
Now that I have kids, it’s more than an exploration of another culture for me. It’s a reminder to celebrate and embrace their heritage with customs and traditions that date back thousands of years. It’s really fun for me and I’ve even forced my husband to get into it, haha.
The pandemic cancelled our Nowruz celebration last year and has forbidden us from inviting more than just my in-laws this year. But we are still celebrating and will continue the tradition of sharing it with our kids and friends. This post is the start of my celebration.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about Nowruz and its traditions. I’ll be sharing more details about Chaharshanbe Suri and Sizdah-Bedar very soon.
References
For more information about the holiday, check out these following sources:
Time and Date, the International Day of Nowruz
United Nations, the International Day of Nowruz
National Geographic, This ancient festival is a celebration of springtime—and a brand new year
Food52, Kick-Start Spring Cleaning the Iranian Way, With Khaneh-Tekani
Young Journalists’ Club, Khaneh-tekani: Spring showing up in Iranian houses
Vox, Persian New Year, or Nowruz, explained
Food52, A Persian New Year Ritual to Ready Your Home for Spring
SurfIran, All About Haft-Sin: The 7 ‘S’ of Iranian New Year
