Renewal of Friendships
Iranians celebrate the rebirth of nature with symbols of peace and prosperity

Here it comes: Nowrooz or “the new day”. It marks the spring equinox and has long been a personification of the Persian history. Spring is the start of flourishing of nature and promises a new birth for the world. On the occasion of this livelihood and freshness, Iranians celebrate Nowrooz on the first day of Farvardin (March 21) coinciding with the first day of spring as the beginning of the New Year.
The life-breathing Nowrooz breeze not only enlivens the dead fields and orchards, but also cheers sad hearts and renders a new freshness to the dormant nature. Nowrooz celebrations start a few days before the new year: One of the ceremonies is “Nowrooz Khani” during which 3-4 singers, with their special musical instruments, walk and sing in the streets.
Arranging Haft Sin, or setting a table of seven objects beginning with “S”, is one of the most ancient Nowrooz customs which has been preserved by the nation up to day. The following ingredients were traditionally used by Iranians on the Haft Sin Table to celebrate the Iranian New Year:
Green herbs, which is composed of seven local vegetables filled in seven bowls. The vegetables were let to grow and those which grew well were taken as a good omen which would bring a better produce for the farmers, because the air, the earth and angels had shown a good favor to that special seed. On the other hand, since “green” was considered a sacred national color by Iranians from ancient times, green herbs were considered necessary in the Haft Sin Table. In the past, wheat, barley, rice, broad bean, millet, popcorn, beans, pea, sesame, and grass pea were grown by families to welcome the New Year.
Besides the above, bread, milk, cheese, eggs, mirror, wheat extract, sorb, apple, pomegranate, gold and silver coins, pussy willow, orange and a pitcher of water were also used for Haft Sin.Water and grass were considerably ominous on the Haft Sin Table. Some believed that water and plants were harbingers of spring. Fish, is considered as personification of Esfand (March/April) as well as breeding, piety, movement and activity. Egg represents seeds, pomegranate is a fruit of paradise, and wheat extract (samanu) renders freshness, sorb means good housekeeping, garlic destroys hunger and bread represents abundance and blessing
Today, Haft Sin Table includes Sumac, serkeh (Vinegar), samanu (wheat extract), sabzi (greens), sonbol (hyacinth), sekkeh (coin), senjid (sorb), accompanied by the holy book (Quran for Muslims) and fish, all of which symbolized prosperity and good luck for the coming year.
Nowrooz is the renewal of friendships and elimination of hostilities. During these ceremonies the profound human feelings would become fresh and the Nowrooz custom, which have been preserved by Iranians through centuries would become an occasion for renewing our passion and respect toward other human beings.