18 March 2008
Iranian Americans Observe Persian New Year Traditions
Nowrouz festival marks beginning of spring
Washington – Hundreds of thousands of Iranian Americans -- and other immigrants from neighboring countries that were once part of the Persian Empire -- are celebrating Nowrouz, the Persian New Year, on March 20 with rituals that go back thousands of years.
The rituals find their symbolic roots in Zoroastrianism and its dualistic struggle between the forces of good and evil, but with the advent of Islam 14 centuries ago, many of the traditions were modified.
A few days before the New Year, Persians observe a Zoroastrian festival known as Chahar Shanbeh Suri. The evening’s rituals include a symbolic purification by fire in which people jump over bonfires to rid themselves of illness and misfortune.
The New Year celebration then begins with the spring equinox, and the Nowrouz festivities continue for 13 days. Iranian community and student groups throughout the United States observe the traditional Persian holidays.
A highlight of Nowrouz celebrations in the United States will be the fifth annual Persian Parade, scheduled for March 30 in New York City. Every year it has become more elaborate and more popular -- in 2007, more than 10,000 people saw the parade, according to organizers. Led by Iranian actor Parviz Sayyad, the parade featured Iranian flags, 11 floats and numerous dancers representing different styles and traditions. (See “Parade Brings Persian New Year Celebration to New York.”)
This year Jimmy Delshad, the first elected Iranian-American mayor of Beverly Hills, will be the parade grand marshal, and Sayyad will also be on hand.
The New York Persian Parade is also sponsoring Chahar Shanbeh Suri on March 18 in Woodbridge, New Jersey, with food, music, and fire jumping.
Some other groups refrain from bonfire jumping because of the potential hazard, but all of them celebrate Nowrouz with Persian music, dancing and a traditional dinner.
The traditional dinner at Nowrouz features an herbed rice and fish dish called sabzi palau ba mahi accompanied by a hearty noodle soup. As always the meal is rounded out with sweet Persian pastries.
Families then greet the New Year in a purified state with a bath and a new set of clothes. The first few minutes of the New Year are spent around a traditional table setting known as the Haft Seen, or “Seven S” with seven items that begin with the letter “S.”
Haft Seen goes back to the pre-Islamic traditions of Zoroastrianism with each item representing one of the seven creations and the seven holy immortals protecting them.
Among the seven “S” items on the table is sabzeh, or green shoots, which are seven wheat or lentil seedlings symbolizing resurrection and the new life to come. Other “S” items may include samanu or sohan, sweets representing joy; sib, an apple representing health and beauty; senjed, lotus fruit symbolizing love; sir, garlic to ward off evil; sekhe, coins for prosperity; sonbal, a hyacinth flower; sumac, a Persian spice; or serkeh, vinegar.
The table setting also should include painted eggs to represent fertility, a goldfish bowl to represent the world’s oceans, and candles with reflecting mirrors to represent the eternal fire -- the ultimate purifying symbol of Zoroastrianism. Some families also include a book of poetry by the Persian masters Hafez or Ferdowsi and a holy book, often used for recitations.
On the 13th day of the New Year, known as Sizdeh-be-dar, Iranians traditionally leave the cities for picnics in the countryside. The wheat or lentil sprouts are tossed into running water to symbolize the throwing away of everyday cares.
Nowrouz ceremonies have become more diverse through the years, particularly as the traditions have spread through Afghan, Tajik, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Kurdish and Parsee cultures, but all of those who observe the celebration today carry forward a timeless expression of ancient Persian culture.
Information on the New York Persian Parade is available at http://www.nypp.org.
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