Red Wednesday (and Nowruz)

This Thursday is the Persian New Year, beginning on the Spring Equinox, and celebrated in Iran for two weeks. The word Nowruz means New Day in Persian. It’s an ancient Persian belief that creation of the world took place on the first day of spring. To prepare for Nowruz, Iranians clean their houses, mend anything that is broken, take baths, and buy new clothes.

The night before the last Wednesday of the year is called Chahar Shambeh Soori, or Red Wednesday. On this night neighbors in Iran gather to build bonfires, and everyone leaps over the fire, to burn away the bad luck of the old year, and create good luck for the new year.

Agenda this week:
1. Start my spring-cleaning: 
This week I plan to clean the woodwork in the living room, and scrub the decking on the back porch.

2. Prepare the sabzeh: 
Last week we planted some seeds in shallow bowls, called the sabzeh in Iran, a symbol of new life. Lentils or wheat are traditional; we planted a mixture of wheat and ryegrain that I had in the cupboard for a cover crop.

This week the sprouts are tall enough to make a good show, though it’s best to start the sabzeh two weeks before Nowruz, so they fill out more. To prepare them for the table, we wrap them up with a red ribbon. 

3. Dye a few eggs: 

Yep, colored eggs are a traditional part of Nowruz. The favorite colors are red, green and yellow, but all colors are used. 

4. Make Shir Berenj 
(Persian Milk & Rice Pudding):

In Farsi, shir means milk and berenj means rice. This pudding is one of the 7 symbolic foods on the Nowruz table. My recipe is here.

5. Make nan-e badami: 

These delicate almond cookies are often served for Nowruz. My recipe is here.

Our suzani.

6. Set up a haft-sheen:
A few days before Noruz every household spreads a special tablecloth on the carpet or table called the haft-sheen, or cloth of seven dishes. 

My art class students have been decorating a special tablecloth that looks like a Persian embroidered suzani; we work on it a little each year, and this is what it looks like now.

The haft-sheen table includes seven bowls filled with seven symbolic foods, each beginning with the Persian letter sheen:

• Sharab- wine, for happiness
• Shakar- sugar, for sweetness
• Shir- milk, for nourishment
• Shireh- fruit syrup (usually grape, but I made raspberry), for vigor
• Shahd- honey, for productive teamwork
• Shirini- candy, more sweetness
• Shir berenj- rice pudding, for health

Other symbols of spring are also placed at the haft-sheen; each family has its own traditions, but the common symbolic items are:

• Sabzeh sprouts, for new life 
  
• A mirror to reflect the images of creation 
• A candle for each child, to represent wisdom and happiness 
• A Holy Book or book of poetry
• Spring flowers 
• Colored eggs, for fruitfulness 
• Coins, for prosperity 
• Rose water for healing 
• Cookies for a sweet life 

We spread the suzani out on the table, then have a hunt to find the symbolic items.

7. Build a fire and JUMP!