New Year´s in Iran

In my last post I have informed my dear readers about the persian calendar. Today I want to describe, how the persian New Year´s (Noruz) is celebrated.

 

On the eve of the last Wednesday before Noruz, the Chahar Schanbe Suri is ( "Wednesday fire " - Chahar = 4 , shanbe = day , Suri = fire ) set on fire. This ancient Iranian (Zoroastrian) Ceremony is one of the most important rituals of the Iranian New Year.

On the day of Noruz you need the "haft sin" = 7 "S", which means 7 things, whose names start with an "s". You can choose seven of the following:

- Sabze, a plant e.g. a persian spice: it symbolizes rebirth

- Sib, an apple: it symbolizes the beauty and health
- Samanu, wheat - a meal made from flour: it symbolizes wealth
- Sir, garlic: it symbolizes medicine
- Senjed, haw: it symbolizes love
- Sekke, gold coin: it symbolizes wealth and prosperity
- Somak, Sumach: it symbolizes the color of the sun and with it the symbol of the sunrise,
  another new start
- Serke, vinegar: it symbolizes life´s bitterness
- Sonbol, hycinth: this flower symbolizes nature and beauty

In addition to those seven things, you need to add some more objects:

- a book: the book symbolizes wisdom and knowledge. Many people are using the books of
  their poets Hafez and Ferdowsi instead of the Koran.
- a mirror: the mirror symbolizes the course of life
- (gold-)fish: symbolizing fertility
- candlestick with lit candles: they symbolize the light and stand for banishment of darkness
  and ignorance
- a few colored eggs: they also symbolize fertility
- a bowl filled with water, in which floats an orange. The orange symbolizes the 
  Earth/Universe
- haft mewa (a New Year´s drink, mixed from 7 fruits)

In addition seven meals are prepared, whose names should start with the letter "s". That symbolizes the seven virtues of Zoroastrism. All these things are set on a table.




Quelle: Wikipedia (License)