New Year’s Customs: Nouruz

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Iranian New Years Customs: New Year is called Nouruz which means New Day, new life. New clothing is worn. The date is March 20 or 21st, follows the vernal equinox, and lasts 13 days. On the Wednesday before New Years people jump over fires to purify themselves. It is bad luck to stay indoors on the thirteenth day and they attend picnics and watch the hereos vaarzech baustani dance. The male dancers juggle pins and chant to drums. Sprouted wheat and lentils are thrown into an ocean or lake.

Foods: A haft seen table is set with seven foods that begin with the letter s in Farsi: samanoo (wheat pudding), sumac (berries), serkeh (vinegar), seeb (apple), sekkeh (gold coin), sombol (flower), and sear (garlic). The Koran, pictures of relatives, pomegranates, colored eggs, 94 pennies, and a bowl of goldfish are placed on the table. Noodle soup is eaten. The patriarch of the family hands out dollar bills that were blessed and kept between pages of the Koran. He signs each bill, dates it with both the American and Iranian years (If in USA) and gives them to the family. It is bad luck to spend it. (2)