فصل ان شد که به گل حکم شکفتن بدهی
ای سر انگشت تو اغاز گل افشانی ها

Nowruz is one of the oldest and most memorable celebrations in humanity which is celebrated in many countries in the cultural lands of ancient Iran (from China to Turkey). Nowruz dates back more than three thousand years. In fact, Nowruz is remembered as a symbol that unites the individuals and tribes of Iran and the Iranian nation. Nowruz marks the beginning of growth and birth in nature and the resurrection of gardens and trees in the parks. In Iran, the beginning of the new year coincides with the arrival and beginning of spring. In Iran, Nowruz is celebrated at the same time as spring. The reason why Nowruz has remained so enduring in Iranian culture can be attributed to its deep connection with Iranian rituals, the country’s history, and the cultural memory of Iranians. Nowruz has been celebrated more or less throughout Iranian history. In the year of 2009, Nowruz was registered at the United Nations General Assembly, in 2012, for the first time, the Nowruz celebration was hosted by Iran at the United Nations and introduced to the whole world, and Iranian Nowruz has been recognized as an international occasion.

Preparations for the arrival of spring and the celebration of the New Year are carried out with great enthusiasm and excitement in Iran. One of the ceremonies celebrated every year to welcome the new year and spring is Chaharshanbe Suri. Iranians gather together on the last Wednesday of the year to celebrate and dance and they have so much fun on this day. Iranian people turn on the fire on the last Wednesday of the year and jump over it because they believe that in this celebration, by jumping over the fire, they send evils and illnesses to the fire to burn in it and instead receive the warmth and energy of the fire to start the new year. On this day, people distribute sweets and nuts among each other. Reading the Shahnameh with a loud voice is another custom that is done by elders on Chaharshanbe Suri. The Ghashogh zani ceremony is another ceremony performed on Chaharshanbe Suri. They would go behind the door of their neighbor’s house with a cloth pulled over their heads so that their faces were not visible, and they would knock on other dishes with a spoon to make a sound and their neighbors put some snacks in their dishes.

House cleaning is another popular Iranian tradition for welcoming spring and Nowruz. House cleaning is another good way to welcome spring and Nowruz among Iranian people. Iranians have a tradition of cleaning every part of their homes to prepare for the New Year. They replace old items with new ones. They believe that a clean home brings blessings and peace in the new year.

Another etiquette that is welcomed during Eid is setting the Haft Sin table. In fact, the Haft Sin table is made up of 7 ingredients that start with the letter S in Persian, each of which symbolizes growth, birth, fertility, abundance, and blessing.  Oleaster, grass, Samano, coins, apple, sumac, and garlic are used in the haft sin table. Each item in haft sin have a deep meaning  such as Oleaster is a symbol love, childbirth and fertility, grass is a symbol of the light and abundance, Samano is a symbol of the strength, goodness and blessing, Coin is a symbol of the abundance and wealth, Apple is a symbol of the health, beauty and love, Sumac is a symbol of patience and endurance, and a symbol of dawn and new beginnings, garlic is a symbol of health and healing of diseases. But in the Iranian Haft Sin, the red fish has a special role and is a sign of (blessings in life). The Mirror is a symbol of light, the egg is the symbol of birth and the candle is for light and fire. All these symbols reflect the depth of New Year culture in Iran and point to its antiquity. The Book of Hafez and the Holy Quran are both among the things that Iranians place on Haft Sin.

The celebration of Nowruz, on the eve of spring and the new year, can be clearly seen on the streets of Iran. Everyone, young and old, is busy shopping. You can see the selling place haft sin items is placed in every street of the town; the redfish are dancing in crystal tanks. vibrant People awaiting the arrival of spring and the cities have come alive and the people are lively, waiting for the arrival of spring. The white and pink blossoms of the trees have grown and new leaves are showing on the newly grown branches of the trees.

When you go to the streets to watch all the excitement, you can see two Iranian Nowruz characters, Haji Firuz and Amo Nowruz, who are characters and symbols of the Nowruz in street theater-like programs to entertain and delight the people. While they play instruments and sing and dance between people. Haji Firuz is a legendary figure in a red and black dress, while Amo Nowruz is an old man with a kind face and long white hair, and a beard who approaches the city gates with a cane.

Nane Sarma is another character who heralds spring and the New Year in Iran, and looks forward to seeing Amo Nowruz until the first day of spring every year; but before he arrives, she falls asleep from exhaustion and upon waking up, she realizes that Uncle Nowruz has come and gone.

Another habit of Iranians during Nowruz is visiting our relatives and friends, and in these days of the beginning of spring, grudges, and bitterness are put aside. The younger ones go to see the older ones, and it is customary for the older ones to give the younger ones a gift as a Nowruz visit. But what is important is to remember each other and take care of each other, as well as to strengthen the bonds of friendship and kinship and increase the love and affection between family members and friends. In addition to Eid visiting with our families, traveling to historical and religious recreational places is one of the programs that Iranians are interested in doing during this period.

On the last day of Nowruz, Farvardin 13, also known as the 13 be adar, Iranians have the custom of going to nature out of the city. Many people even leave home the night before and some in the morning for another destination in nature and spend the last day of their vacation in the lap of nature and by the rivers, plains, and beaches. They enjoy each other’s company with their families, and finally returning home in the evening and after a long rest during the Nowruz, they prepare themselves for another chapter in their lives.

Salam Rouyan Rastak’s team congratulates you, dear ones, on the beautiful spring that coincides with the beginning of the Iranian New Year. We hope that in this new spring, your existence will be filled with health, happiness, and peace, just like the spring trees full of beautiful spring blossoms.