Nowruz is the Iranian New Year, celebrated worldwide. It's a 13-day ancient festival that marks the beginning of spring and celebrates the rebirth of nature.
NPR: "In every home, the haftseen table is decorated with seven items – since seven is considered a lucky number. Each item begins with the letter sin (s) in Persian, and each item is a symbol of spring and renewal, including:
- Seeb (apple), representing beauty
- Seer (garlic), representing good health
- Serkeh (vinegar), representing patience
- Sonbol (hyacinth), representing spring
- Samanu (sweet pudding), representing fertility
- Sabzeh (sprouts), representing rebirth
- Sekeh (coins), representing prosperity
"Other words beginning with the letter 's' can also be used, such as the
spice sumac, its brilliant gold color representing the sunrise, or senjed, a dried fruit of the Lotus tree, representing love.
"Haftseen tables can also include a Quran, a book of poetry, a
mirror and candles (reflecting into the future), a goldfish swimming in a
bowl (representing life), painted eggs (representing fertility), and
all kinds of sweets and fruits."
(This was as close as we got to real goldfish...↓ )
"Nowruz is also a time for spring cleaning, buying new clothes, visiting
friends and relatives and renewing bonds. On the 13th day of the New
Year, the celebrations finally end. Since the 13th is an unlucky day,
entire families go on picnics and take with them the sprouts (sabzeh) from the haftseen table. The sabzeh is thrown into flowing water, symbolizing a 'letting go' of the misfortunes of the coming year."
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