Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, is the celebration of the new year in Iran and the welcoming of spring. This year Nowruz will be held on March 20 and will be celebrating the year 1404, as the calendar differs from many other countries.
Chaharsahnbe Suri is one of the events prior to Nowruz to help cleanse off any and all negativity from the past year. This is celebrated on the Tuesday before Nowruz, to help the cleanse set in before the new year.
During Chaharsahnbe Suri, Iranians celebrate by jumping over fire. This ritual is a large cleanse of any misfortune that was held in the past year and provides happiness for the coming year.
With Nowruz comes many preparations and traditions. A Haft-Seen is seen in several Persian homes during this time of the year. The Haft-Seen is a special table decorated with items which all symbolize different hopes for the upcoming year.
On the New Year’s Day itself, families gather to celebrate, eat multitudes of meals, all while exchanging gifts and relaxing for the new year.
Iranian student, Neekon Akhavanhaidary (11) shares, “My personal favorite part of Persian New Year is all the mehmoonies.”
Mehmoonies is the Persian word meaning celebrations and parties, often held with close family and friends.
At these parties relatives and friends get to come together, socialize and eat many different Persian foods.
Meals very popular at celebrations such as Nowruz include: Sabzi Polo Mahi, a dish of herb rice served with fish, and Kuku Sabzi, a herb frittata.
Nowruz is not just the start of the year, but a rebirth of the earth and one’s soul. The various themes of cleansing and renewal help celebrate the ideals of coming from darkness to a new light.
Ariel Christensen (12) shares, ‘While I myself am not Persian, I have many Persian friends and love the culture. I think Nowruz is such a beautiful celebration as it allows a renewal of oneself and provides a new chance for many.”
Nowruz is heavy on the family. Often Persian families are large, leading for celebrations like this to be extremely significant. Due to this, families travel worldwide to be able to celebrate this holiday with their loved ones.
With tensions being very high in Iran these past years, Nowruz has become something American-Persians use to connect back with their home country.
Nowruz is a symbol of culture and pride for the Iranian community. People are able to reconnect with their ancestors and heritage with this reminder of their roots.
Nowruz has played a significant role in many young Iranian lives and the older generations due to its preservation of Iranian culture.
As everyone grows older and faces problems they have never seen before, Nowruz provides a way to connect people, honor heritage and provide luck for what is to come next.
