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Happy new year (NOWRUZ for Iranian)

2008.03.18

The Haft Sīn
Main article: Haft sin table
The Traditional Haft SînHaft Sîn (هفت سین) or the seven 'S's is a major tradition of Nowruz. The haft sin table includes seven items specific starting with the letter S or Sīn (س) in Persian alphabet). The items symbolically correspond to seven creations and holy immortals protecting them. Originally called Haft Chin (هفت چین)[citation needed], the Haft Sin has evolved over time, but has kept its symbolism. Traditionally, families attempt to set as beautiful a Haft Sīn table as they can, as it is not only of traditional and spiritual value, but also noticed by visitors during Nowruzi visitations and is a reflection of their good taste.

The Haft Sin items are:
1- sabzeh - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
2- samanu - a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence
3- senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love
4- sīr - garlic - symbolizing medicine
5- sīb - apples - symbolizing beauty and health
6- somaq - sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
7- serkeh - vinegar - symbolizing age and patience
Other items on the table may include:
Sonbol - Hyacinth (flower)
Sekkeh - Coins - representative of wealth
traditional Iranian pastries such as baghlava, toot, naan-nokhodchi
dried nuts, berries and raisins (Aajeel)
lit candles (enlightenment and happiness)
a mirror (symbolizing cleanness and honesty)
decorated eggs, sometimes one for each member of the family (fertility)
a bowl of water with goldfish (life within life, and the sign of Pisces which the sun is leaving)
a bowl of water with an orange in it (the earth floating in space)
rose water for its magical cleansing powers
the national colours, for a patriotic touch
a holy book (e.g., the Qur'an, Avesta, Bible, Torah, or Kitáb-i-Aqdas,) and/or a poetry book (almost always either the Shahnama or the Divan of Hafez)

Nowrūz (Persian: نوروز, (has various local pronunciations and spellings, e.g.: Kurdish: Newroz, نه‌ورۆز, Azerbaijani: Novruz; Kazakh: Наурыз (Nauryz); Kyrgyz: Нооруз (Nooruz)) is the traditional Iranian new year holiday celebrated by various Iranian and Turkic people in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Albania, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Northwestern China, the Crimea, and the Balkans.

Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (start of spring in northern hemisphere), which usually occurs on the March 21st or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.

In Iran Nowruz is referred to as an Eid festival, although it is not an Islamic feast, since "Eid" is the Arabic word for "feast". The word comes from Old Persian: nava = new + rəzaŋh = day/daylight, meaning "new day/daylight", and has the same meaning in Kurdish (naw = new + roz = day; meaning "new day") and New Persian (now/naw = new + rūz = day; meaning "new day").
The term Nooroz first appeared in Persian records in the second century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 648-330 BC), where kings from different nations under the Persian empire used to bring gifts to the emperor (Shahanshah) of Persia on Nowruz

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