1. Nowrouz, Iranian New Year,
begins on the first day of spring
That is usually on March 20th or
21st
http://www.farsinet.com/norooz/

2. On Nowrouz, Iranians:
• Make sure the house is totally clean
• Prepare for receiving guests with sweets,
fruit, tea and dry roasted nuts
• Wear new clothes
• Visit relatives and give each other gifts
• Eat “sabzi polo” rice with herbs and “mahi”
fish
• The most important thing is to forget the
old grudges

3. Do try Sabzi polo Mahi if you are
near a Persian restaurant

4. Iranians also set a “hafsin” during Nowrouz:
a table which has seven items with names
that begin with letter “s”

5. You can personalize your “haftsin”
like this:

6. Like this:

7. Perhaps this

8. Even this!

9. Light has a symbolic significance in the
Zoroastrian faith

10. The idea has inspired painters:

11. And producers of calendars and
postcards:

12. The important thing is to have certain items like
freshly grown herbs, colored eggs, and garlic in
the “haftsin”

13. Freshly grown herb is called:
“Sabzeh”

14. Some other items include: apples
“Seeb”

15. Garlic “Seer”

16. And coins,
“Sekkeh”

17. Vinegar as well:
“Serkeh”

18. And, a paste made with wheat called:
“Samanoo”

19. Colored eggs don’t have a name beginning with S
but they are in the haftsin all the same!

20. The same is true of goldfish!

21. Iranians send beautiful postcards to each
other on Nowrouz

22. Sometimes the card includes poetic descriptions of
the spring in exquisite calligraphy like this one by
Hafez of Shiraz (14th cent.)

23. Millions of people in and out of Iran
celebrate Nowrouz, like these Kurdish
ladies:

24. Or, these beautiful people in
Tajikistan

25. Nowrouz means “a new day”
When Iranians see each
other on Nowrouz,
they say:
Sadsaal be in saalha
literally:
May you see a hundred
years like this one!