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In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Iranian New Year
Celebration, or NorooZ, always begins on the first day of spring.
Norooz ceremonies are symbolic representations of two ancient concepts
- the End and the Rebirth; or Good and Evil.
A few weeks before the New Year, Iranians clean and rearrange their
homes. They make new clothes, bake pastries and germinate seeds as
sign of renewal. The ceremonial cloth is set up in each household.
Troubadours, referred to as Haji Firuz, disguise themselves with makeup
and wear brightly colored outfits of satin. These Haji Firuz, singing
and dancing, parade as a carnival through the streets with tambourines,
kettle drums, and trumpets to spread good cheer and the news of the
coming new year.
Last Wednesday of the year(Chahar Shanbeh Suri) :
On the eve of last Wednesday of the year, literally the eve of Red
Wednesday or the eve of celebration, bonfires are lit in public places
and people leap over the flames, shouting:
Give me your beautiful red color
And take back my sickly pallor!
With the help of fire and light symbols of good, we hope to see our way
through this unlucky night - the end of the year- to the arrival of
springs longer days.
Traditionally, it is believed that the living were visited by the
spirits of their ancestors on the last day of the year. Many people
specially children, wrap themselves in shrouds symbolically reenacting
the visits. By the light of the bonfire, they run through the
streets banging on pots and pans with spoons called Gashog-Zani to
beat out the last unlucky Wednesday of the year, while they knock on
doors to ask for treats. Indeed, Halloween is a Celtic variation of
this night.
In order to make wishes come true, it is customary to prepare special
foods and distribute them on this night. Noodle Soup a filled Persian
delight, and mixture of seven dried nuts and fruits, pistachios,
roasted chic peas, almond, hazelnuts, figs, apricots, and raisins.
Fal-Gush
This is another ritual in which someone makes a wish and stands
at the corner of an intersection , or on a terrace or behind a wall.
That person will know his fortune when he overhears conversation of a
passerby.
Haft-Seen
A few days prior to the New Year, a special cover is spread on to
the Persian carpet or on a table in every Persian household. This
ceremonial table is called cloth of seven dishes, (each one beginning
with the Persian letter Sinn). The number seven has been sacred in Iran
since the ancient times, and the seven dishes stand for the seven
angelic heralds of life-rebirth, health, happiness, prosperity, joy,
patience, and beauty.
The symbolic dishes consist of:
- Sabzeh or sprouts, usually wheat or lentil representing rebirth.
- Samanu is a pudding in which common wheat sprouts are
transformed and given new life as a sweet, creamy pudding and
represents the ultimate sophistication of Persian cooking.
- Seeb means apple and represents health and beauty.
- Senjed the sweet, dry fruit of the Lotus tree, represents
love. It has been said that when lotus tree is in full
bloom, its fragrance and its fruit make people fall in love
and become oblivious to all else.
- Seer which is garlic in Persian, represents medicine.
- Somaq sumac berries, represent the color of sunrise; with the
appearance of the sun Good conquers Evil.
- Serkeh or vinegar, represents age and patience.
To reconfirm all hopes and wishes expressed by the traditional foods,
other elements and symbols are also on the sofreh):
- a few coins placed on the sofreh represent prosperity and
wealth;
- a basket of painted eggs represents fertility.
- a Seville orange floating in a bowl of water represents the earth
floating in space.
- a goldfish in a bowl represents life and the end of astral
year-picas.
- a flask of rose water known for its magical cleansing power, is
also included on the tablecloth.
- Nearby is a brazier for burning wild rue ,a sacred herb whose
smoldering fumes ward off evil spirits.
- A pot of flowering hyacinth or narcissus is also set on the
sofreh.
- A mirror which represents the images and reflections of
Creation as we celebrate anew the ancient Persian traditions and
beliefs that creation took place on the first day of spring.
- On either side of the mirror are two candlesticks holding a
flickering candle for each child in the family. The candles
represent enlightenment and happiness.
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