Written by: Huda Z



The first day of Spring means different things to different people. To some, it is just another season and to the others, it means flowers, sunshine and fragrance. But to the Iranians, it means the first day of the new year.

Nowruz – or the Iranian New Year – is the day of the vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of the first month of the Iranian calendars. For many Iranians, this day is an opportunity to connect with the centuries-old Persian rituals and traditions. Praying, visiting family members, exchanging greetings and gifts are the usual highlights of a typical Iranian’s Nowruz day. Though Iranians today living in different parts of the world might celebrate Nowruz differently, there is one thing that’s constant in every Iranian household – the Haft Seen.

The term Haft is Farsi for ‘seven’ and Seen is the name of a Farsi letter, which equivalent to the English letter S. So, Haft Seen roughly translates to Seven Seens. The Haft Seen is the name of the arrangement of seven symbolic items that start with the Farsi letter Seen, displayed at homes, parties, shops and other areas during the Nowruz holidays throughout Iran. The Haft Seen is usually composed of Sabzeh (sprouts), Samanau (wheat germ pudding), Senjed (Persian olive), Serkeh (vinegar), Seeb (apple), Seer (garlic) and Somaq (sumac). The decoration is often also accompanied with decorative items such as a mirror, candles, painted eggs, a goldfish and other Iranian confectionaries and sweets. Most times, a ‘book of wisdom,’ is also added to the set up which is usually the Qur’an, the Bible, the Avesta, the Shahnameh – famous book of the Iranian poet Ferdowsi, or the Divan – book of the Persian poet Hafez.