Spring Cleaning, Fruits and Ta'rof

It's still very cold and windy where I live, grasses are dried and brown, buried underneath patches of ice and snow, trees are bare, and my bird houses are looking very lonely and beaten by the cold. There's no sign of spring in the air, as if it will never arrive. I know this harsh winter and cold weather won't last for long, and spring will be here very soon, but, like other harsh and cruel things in life, it's sometimes difficult to believe that there will be a light at the end of a dark tunnel. However, life proves to be full of surprises and many unimaginable, beautiful outcomes. One of my mother's habits was writing little notes on the corner of blank pages of her favorite books, such as Hafez's poetry book, lines like "in niz bogzarad" (this too shall pass). Seeing my mother's beautiful handwriting and the message while thumbing through the pages reinforces the hope that things will get better! Renewal and change will come soon, and spring will bring many blooms, warm rays of sunshine, and greenery.

To me, spring means hope, brightness, warmth, rejuvenation, colors, birds chirping, flowers, and fruits. At this time of the year, with spring being around the corner, it's time for our traditional, major خانه تکانی - khaneh-tekani (spring cleaning). This is a top-to-bottom, inside-out, every nook and cranny heavy-duty cleaning, getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. Besides the cleaning, I'm thinking of reupholstering my kitchen chairs and painting my stairway, that's why I need at least four weeks to accomplish all of this, and yes, I'll do it all by myself. Changing the seat covers is easy; it's choosing the right fabric that is hard. So far, I've been to my neighborhood fabric store and came back empty-handed. I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Well, I'm not much of an interior designer, and it takes me a while to figure out what works best. I also wrote about spring cleaning (Iranian style) a year ago at this time.

Assorted fresh seasonal fruit platters are usually the centerpiece of the living room coffee tables in most Iranian homes for Nowruz celebrations and gatherings with friends and family. For us, serving fruits is right up there with serving a fresh-brewed cup of tea with sweets. Even though winter fruits are somewhat limited in varieties compared to the summer bounty, you can offer a fruit platter with what's seasonally available in your area and part of the world.

As a kid, I didn't like the تعارف ta'rof ritual, the persistence of offering you food and drinks by the elders in the family. I'm used to it by now, and it doesn't bother me anymore. It's all done with the best intentions of wanting to serve and please your guests. I find a little ta'rof somewhat charming. I usually offer our guests something to eat 2-3 times before giving up and saying, "Please feel at home and help yourself," but my husband, on the other hand, starts peeling oranges, slicing apples, pears, and Persian cucumbers, and anything else that's on the table and makes a ready-to-eat fruit platter for our guests! It's very cultural!!

Enjoy!

Spring Is Just Around The Corner! It's Time For Spring Cleaning - Iranian Style

It may seem too early to talk about Spring cleaning when the ground is covered with snow, and the weather is freezing where I live. However, there are only four weeks left until the Spring equinox, when the days and nights are of equal length and the start of the Persian New Year and the celebration of Nowruz (New Day)!

Before the actual Nowruz celebration, festivities, family gatherings, and all the visits (did-o-bazdid-e Eid) begin, there's the extensive top-to-bottom, thorough, and all-out spring cleaning (khaneh-tekani) that has to take place. This ritual is for everyone and every household, whether one lives in a simple room with minimal furnishings or in a palatial mansion filled with luxurious items! This once-a-year cleaning ritual is more than the typical routine of vacuuming, mopping, and dusting that we normally do. In our home, like the homes of many Iranians, the process of Spring cleaning starts weeks before the Nowruz celebration, so by the time Nowruz arrives (sal-e tahvil), the house would be sparkling clean, organized and neat, the children dressed in their new spring clothes and the Haft-Seen table (table with items starting with the letter "S" each symbolically representing, health, happiness and prosperity), would be beautifully set.

Growing up in Iran, this was one of the best times of the year. My mother's ritual of spring cleaning would start with going through all the closets and chests of drawers one by one. She would take everything out, get rid of the old and worn-out clothing, put the winter clothes away, and neatly return the "good" clothing. Then she would clean the rugs, draperies, shades, windows, refrigerator, stove, kitchen cabinets, and appliances. Not to mention, the occasional fresh coat of paint for the living room and dining room, and the re-upholstery of some of the chairs where we usually entertain and greet family and friends. These are a few rituals, among many others, that take place in preparation for the Persian New Year.

These processes are also a symbolic reminder to take in the spirit of Spring and clear our hearts and minds, and let go of grudges and hard feelings that we might have accumulated, and try to start the New Year with a new attitude and positive outlook on life. I personally find the خانه تکانی Spring cleaning activities joyous and look forward to cleaning every nook and cranny in my house and to letting go of anything that I have held on to over the years. It's time for me to carry on the tradition, as my mother kept it together after the loss of my father and my only sister. She welcomed the Nowruz celebrations with joy, and I, too, shall do the same without my mother's presence. Is there ever a time to overcome your loss?  I take in the fresh new air of the coming New Year and am working on the challenging task of being in the moment with every breath. Enjoy your Spring Cleaning and have fun with it!

Peace and blessings!