Happy Nowruz 2020!

After a long blogging hiatus, I am back with a new post about Nowruz, my favorite holiday. This Nowruz is undoubtedly unlike any other in the past. As you all know, these are very difficult times for so many of us as we try our best to stay positive and get through this pandemic day by day. We are all coping with feelings of fear, anxiety, isolation and economic hardship. However, life continues to go on and seasons change and with the spring equinox comes a new sense of hope, growth, rebirth and rejuvenation. I wish you all a very healthy, happy and prosperous Nowruz. I hope you all stay safe and strong. Please make sure you take the necessary measures to protect yourself and your loved ones.

The traditional Haft Seen table includes Sabzeh (wheat sprouts), Seer (garlic), Seeb (apple), Senjed (fruits of oleaster tree), Somagh (sumac), Serkeh (vinegar), Tokhme Morgh Rangi (colored eggs), Sekeh (coins), Sonbol (hyacinth), as well as a mirror, candles and a Hafez poetry book or holy book.

Below is a recipe for Sekanjabin, an ancient Persian syrup and drink that is both healthy and refreshing.

Sekanjabin Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup honey (clover or orange blossom)

3-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

A small bunch of fresh mint

Rosewater

Method:

In a small saucepan, combine honey and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the mint, boil for 10-15 minutes. Add vinegar, simmer for additional 5-7 minutes. Add a few drops of rosewater, remove from heat. Cool and serve with lettuce.  

Sharbat-e Sekanjabin 

Mix 2 tablespoons of sekanjabin syrup with grated small cucumber, a few drops of rosewater, and water. Add a few ice cubes and serve cold.

Enjoy!
!نوروزتان پیروز 
Nowruzetan Pirooz!

Happy Nowruz 2019! Persian New Year Traditions and Haft Seen Photos

Nowruz, which translates to "new day" in Persian, is the celebration of the arrival of spring, nature's rebirth, and the new year. This year's sal-e tahvil (vernal equinox) falls on Wednesday, March 20 at 5:58 pm here in New York. This ancient Persian New Year festival dates back centuries ago and is celebrated by Iranians around the world as well as in countries such as Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. نوروز  Nowruz is a time of togetherness with family and friends, sitting around sofreh-ye haft seen, feeling grateful and looking forward to what the new year will bring. Following the new year celebration, the traditional did-o-bazdid (visiting friends and family) starts and the festivities end on the 13th day of Nowruz which is called sizdah- bedar (getting rid of 13). This day is traditionally spent by having an outdoor picnic and the sabzeh is thrown away into running water, symbolizing the removal of any negativity and misfortune from the home.

Part of preparing for Nowruz involves doing a thorough khaneh tekani (spring cleaning) and tidying the house for mehmoon (guests). A simple yet meaningful quote that I try to remember especially during this time of year is the ancient Zoroastrian teaching: Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.

Haft-Seen is an essential part of the Nowruz celebration. To set a table or a sofreh (tablecloth) you'll need to gather seven (haft) items that begin with the letter seen (s) in Farsi and each one of these items hold a symbolic meaning. سبزه  Sabzeh - wheat, lentil or mung sprouts need to be germinated a couple of weeks before the sal-e tahvil in order to have a long and green sabzeh.

1. Sabzeh (sprouts): representing rebirth and rejuvenation
2. Samanoo (wheat pudding): representing patience
3. Seeb (apple); representing beauty
4. Seer (garlic): representing health
5. Sekeh (coin): representing prosperity
6. Senjed (oleaster): representing love
7. Serkeh (vinegar): representing age

In addition to these seven items, there should be a mirror (representing reflection), a candle, goldfish (representing life), sumac (representing the spice of life), colored eggs (representing fertility), Hafez's book of poetry, or a prayer book, sweets, sonbol (hyacinth) and other spring flowers.

Nowruz dinner includes sabzi polow (rice and herbs) with mahi (fish), reshteh polow, kookoo sabzi, ash reshteh, and dolmeh among many other dishes that might differ from region to region.

Sal-e No Mobarak! Happy Nowruz!

Haft Seen Table - Nowruz 2018!

Persian New Year (Spring equinox) has officially arrived! It doesn't quite feel like it where I live since it is still cold and the flowers have yet to bloom but I remember how the warmth of spring should feel, with the fresh emerald green grass covering the ground and vibrant flowers everywhere. I am grateful that I had experienced Nowruz back home in Iran where I grew up. The excitement and enthusiasm that I felt celebrating Eid-e Nowruz in Iran has stayed with me all these years and inspires me to recreate what I have learned and to share it with my family and all of you! Let's celebrate the renewal and the rejuvenation of nature with our loved ones and set the Haft Seen table with items representing health, prosperity, rebirth, fertility, beauty, light, and love.

Sabzeh symbolizes rebirth and spring

Seeb (apple) symbolizes beauty

Senjed symbolizes love

Somagh (sumac) symbolizes the spice of life

Seer (garlic) symbolizes health and to ward off bad omens

Samanoo (wheat pudding) symbolizes the reward of patience

 Serkeh (vinegar) symbolizes age

Tokhm-e Morgh Rangi (Colorful Eggs) symbolizes fertility

Mahi Ghermez (Goldfish) symbolizes life

Candle symbolizes Light

Spring Flowers

Ayneh (mirror) symbolizes reflection

Divan-e Hafez

Happy Nowruz! Happy Spring!سال نو مبارک 

Celebration and Traditions of Nowruz - The Seven S's of Sofreh-ye Haft Seen -1396

نرم نرمک میرسد اینک بهار

خوش به حال روزگار

ای دریغ از تو اگر چون گل نرقصی با نسیم

ای دریغ از من اگر مستم نسازد آفتاب

ای دریغ از ما اگر کامی نگیریم از بهار

~فریدون مشیری

نوروز Nowruz (New Day), the traditional 13-day Iranian celebration of the first day of spring (spring equinox), dates back to the Achaemenid Empire 6th century B.C. Nowruz is a celebration of nature and its revival and rejuvenation. The preparation for the Nowruz festival starts with خانه تکانی khaneh tekani, a thorough spring cleaning. Then there's چهار شنبه سوری Chahar Shanbeh Suri (Festival of fire) that's celebrated on the eve of the last Tuesday of the year. عید نوروز Eid-e Nowruz is a time for Iranians all across the world, as well as other neighboring countries of Iran that share this holiday, to gather together with their families and celebrate the Persian New Year.

هفت سین Haft seen spread is embedded with symbolism and each item on the سفره sofreh has a symbolic meaning. Overall, they represent life, health, prosperity, love, fertility, and patience. The Seven S's of Sofreh-ye Haft Seen include the following, سبزه Sabzeh (wheat or lentil sprouts), سرکه Serkeh (vinegar), سماق Somagh (sumac), سیر Seer (garlic), سنجد Senjed (fruit of oleaster tree), سکه  Sekeh(coins), سمنو Samanoo (wheat pudding) and سیب Seeb (apples). Fragrant سنبل sonbol (hyacinth), as well as other fresh spring flowers such as لاله laleh (tulips) and نرگس narges (narcissus), adorn the table. Other items on the sofreh (tablecloth) include ayneh (mirror), candles, colored eggs, and goldfish. Nowruz sweets and ajil (nuts and seeds) may also be found on the sofreh. Food is a major part of the Nowruz celebration and a traditional Persian New Year feast includes fresh herbs which represent earth, nature, and healthy eating. A typical Nowruz menu includes Sabzi Polow ba Mahi, Kookoo Sabzi, Reshteh Polow, Ash Reshteh, Sabzi Khordan, Mast o Khiar, and Salad Shirazi.

Nowruz Mobarak! Happy Nowruz!