Here we are again friends – Norooz {Persian New Year} is almost upon us! The weather is getting warm, the days are getting longer, the birds are singing and so many beautiful spring blooms are starting to blossom.
With less and less time to design my haftseen {traditional Persian New Year spread} ahead of time, I decided to use the same mirror I used last year as well as use one of my favorite lace overlays I have used year after year for both my haftseens as well the Persian ceremony spreads I have designed. As I started to set my haftseen this year, I wasn’t liking it. It was looking the same (in terms of design) that I had done before and it was looking colorless and just dull. It was still full of detail but it wasn’t speaking to me the way it had in the past. I made a trip to Trader Joes and came across the most beautiful bunches of blush stock flowers. I bought them all! Other customers were stopping me in the store asking me what kind of flowers I had in my hand because they were so beautiful. This is where my haftseen took a turn in the right direction because these flowers literally gave my design life as I came home and started styling them into my haftseen. Would you even believe me if I shared with you that I only spent about $24 on all the blush stock flowers I bought from Trader Joes? Believe it because that is all I spent. I mixed them in with some cherry blossoms I had and the colors just blended so well together. I had some pretty green apples on hand and I decided to mix them into my florals {apples are one of the traditional items that go on every Persian New Year spread}. Then I had an aha moment to add another dimension of color so I added candles the same color as my apples to my spread. Finally, my pretty please haftseen came to life.
A little recap on what Persian New Year is about for my new readers. Norooz in its literal translation means New Day – “No” means New and “Ruz” means Day. It is observed based on the Persian calendar and this year we are getting ready to ring in 1399. We prettify a table spread (also known as a Haftseen) with symbolic and traditional items that represent many elements in our life and new year to come. Seven specific items are placed on the spread that start with the letter “S” or to be more specific the Persian letter “Seen”. Haftseen in its literal translation means 7 (Haft) seens. 7 “S’s”. Below is a brief breakdown of the traditional Haftseen items:
{HAFTSEEN SPREAD}
{sabzeh} wheat or lentil sprouts growing in a dish – symbolizing rebirth
{samanoo} a sweet pudding made from wheat germ – symbolizing wealth
{senjed} the dried fruit of the oleaster tree – symbolizing love
{seer} garlic – symbolizing medicine
{seeb} apples – symbolizing beauty and health
{serkeh} vinegar – symbolizing age and patience
{sekkeh} coins – prosperity and wealth
{sonbol} hyacinth flower symbolizing the start of spring
{OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE ALSO USED ON THE SPREAD}
a mirror and lit candles – symbolizing enlightenment and happiness
decorated eggs – symbolizing fertility
a bowl with goldfish – symbolizing life
holy book {depending on faith} – symbolizing God’s blessing
This observance has been celebrated for over a few thousand years and is one of the most anticipated for Persians/Iranians. The new year is celebrated for 13 days and the actual new year always falls on the Spring Equinox. Some of our traditions include prettifying our Haftseen table as I mentioned previously, Spring cleaning, visiting family and friends, buying new clothes, and gifting money to children. On the 13th day we finish off the celebrations by attending Seezdeh Beedar which is the ritual of attending a park and picnicking. These parks are usually full of other Persians/Iranians there to celebrate as well so it becomes a very big festivity full of food, dancing and of course a lot of mixing and mingling.
Wishing all of my readers who celebrate this ancient and traditional celebration a very happy, HEALTHY, and prosperous new year. May you and yours be blessed always. Pisha pish noroozehtoon mobarak!
ALL FLORALS + DESIGN BY YOURS TRULY
haftseen Haftsin norooz nowruz Parisa Kaprealian persian new year
