What is Nowruz and how is it celebrated?
Persian New Year, known as Nowruz is celebrated not only in Iran but Afghanistan, Albania, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and of course, diaspora communities elsewhere in the world. This holiday symbolizes: dusting away the old, and welcoming in the new. Nowruz translates to "new day".
It is time when families gather to prepare festive dishes and welcome the beginning of spring.
What does jumping over Fire symbolize?
Fire is a powerful symbol, and when you hop over the fires, it takes away the negativities from the past year and helps you focus on the future.
Here, Preschool 2 Classroom celebrated Persian New Year by jumping over fire which they created out of red, yellow and orange tissue.
Set up a decorative table called a Haft-Seen or Haft Sin
During Nowruz, homes set up a decorative table called, Haft-Seen or Haft Sin, which means seven S’s.
On it, there are seven items beginning with the sound “S” because the number seven has been sacred in Persia since the ancient times.
These can be:
Sabzeh(سبزه) wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
Samanu (سمنو)- a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence
Senjed (سنجد)- the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love
Seer (سیر)- garlic - symbolizing medicine/health
Seeb (سیب)- apples - symbolizing beauty and health
Somaq (سماق)- sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
Sonbol (سنبل)- the fragrant hyacinth flower (the coming of spring)
Sekkeh (سکه)- coins (prosperity and wealth)
Other items to add to your table:
•lit candles (enlightenment and happiness)
•a mirror (self reflection and introspection)
•decorated eggs, one for each member of the family (fertility)
•a bowl with goldfish symbolizes life
•a crystal bowl of water with an orange in it (the earth floating in space)
•rose water for its magical cleansing powers
•traditional Iranian pastries such as baghlava (باقلوا), toot (mulberry) (توت), naan-nokhodchi (chik-peas)(نان نخودچی)
