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Tuesday 20 March 2012

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The table we set for Nowruz:
The origin of Norouz is an event that has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years.
Its roots date back to the beginning of the Zoroastrian religion

Norouz has two main parts. The first is pre-new year, which is associated withthe purging of bad luck, cleaning, and preparing for the New Year. The second part is the New Year itself, and is associated with bringing good fortune to your family and friends to ensure a happy and fruitful new year.

The last Wednesday of the old year is called Chahar Shanbe Soori. On this day people usually gather in the streets or at the beach and jump over built fires and recite "Give me your beautiful red color, and take back my sickly paleness!" This is done in an effort to bring good health to oneself for the coming New Year (5).

On the last Thursday of the year, called Shabeh Dadan, families go to the cemetery to visit relatives that have past away, and give alms for the sake of the dead.

Another interesting custom involved in pre-new year is Koozeh Shekastan, the breaking of earthen jars. The

Families of political prisoners, stay outside notorious Evin prison to be closer to loved ones in the dungeons when celebrating the new year.

family places several low denomination coins, pieces of charcoal, and rocks into the jar. The jar is then taken to the roof of the house and the contents of the jar are tossed onto the streets, while the practitioners recite, "my pains and misfortunes onto the street.

Another pre-new year event is the cleaning out of old items in one's house, This may be associated with the casual practice known as "spring cleaning."

The moment just before the arrival of the New Year is known as Saati Tahvil, the countdown to Norouz.

The first day of Norouz is when the Haft Seen is set. This marks the beginning of the New Year celebration, which lasts for fourteen days.
Sofreh-e Haft Sin (clothof seven dishes), is the setting of seven objects that start withthe letter "S". It is usually placed in the nicest area of the house.
Each of the things has a symbolic meaning associated with the themes of the New Year, depicting an Iranian virtue that is desired by people.

These are the items of the Haft seen:
Sabzeh– wheat or lentil sprouts growing in a dish symbolizing rebirth
Samanu - pudding made of wheat symbolizing wealth
Senjed – dried fruit of Jujube tree symbolizing love
Seer - garlic symbolizing medicine
Seeb – apples symbolizing beauty and health
Somaq – sumac berries symbolizing the sun
Serkeh – vinegar symbolizing age
Sonbol – hyacinth flower symbolizing the arrival of spring
Sekkeh - gold coins symbolizing prosperity and wealth
Items such as pastries, food dishes, candles, eggs, and a holy book such as the Koran, Bible, or Torah may also be placed on the table even though they do not start with an "S".

Another customary tradition is to give money from the elderly to the young in the meaning of wealth of the future.
Along with the dispersal of eidee money to youths, Norouzvisits are also made to family and close friends, which is known as Eide Dedanee . Visits are usually first made to elders, and these visits are expected to be reciprocated.

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