Photos: Colored Egg Festival at Tehran’s Water-Fire Park

Painted Eggs – symbolizing Humans and Fertility – is one of the Nowruz seven “Haft Chin” items which still decorate today’s “Haft Sin” tables – a major traditional table setting of Nowruz.

The “Haft Chin” items are:

Mirror – symbolizing Sky

Apple – symbolizing Earth

Candles – symbolizing Fire

Golab – rose water symbolizing Water

Sabzeh – wheat, or barley sprouts symbolizing Plants

Goldfish – symbolizing Animals

Painted Eggs – symbolizing Humans and Fertility

The Haft Sin items are:

sabzeh – wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish – symbolizing rebirth

samanu – a sweet pudding made from wheat germ – symbolizing affluence

senjed – the dried fruit of the oleaster tree – symbolizing love

sir – garlic – symbolizing medicine

sib – apples – symbolizing beauty and health

somaq – sumac berries – symbolizing (the color of) sunrise

serkeh – vinegar – symbolizing age and patience.

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