Persian New Year knocking on the door

With just a few hours to go until the countdown to the Persian New Year , here is a piece on UN-recognized time-honored Persian tradition.

The festivities of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, starts a few hours from now marking the first day of spring in Iran.

Today is a rare find in Iran as well as in many Persian-speaking countries across the globe given the nature rebirth is honored for 13 days which is a great cause for celebration.

Nowruz coincides with the vernal equinox when spring officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere. Such astronomical event rings in the Persian New Year with millions getting together around ceremonial table "haftseen" decorated by seven items.

These items include Seeb (apple), Seer (garlic), Serkeh (vinegar), Sonbol (hyacinth), Samanu (a sweet pudding),  Sabzeh (sprouts) and Sekeh (coins).

For decoration, other items beginning with the letter "s" in the Persian language can also be used, such as the spice Sumac as well as Senjed (Oleaster fruit). The holy Quran is another integral part of the table.

Nowruz is a compound word in the Persian language that translates to “new day”. In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognized the International Day of Nowruz as a cultural tradition of Persian origin celebrated by several countries to mark the first day of spring.

Walking around in Iranian cities during the first 13 days of spring, you will hear, “Nowruz Pirooz! Eid Mobarak! Happy Persian New Year!”

AG/AG