Monday, at 2:24 pm California time, is the Persian New Year.
Why so exact? Because the Persian New Year starts with the first moment of Spring.
The calendar then follows the seasons: The first 3 months are Spring, the next 3 months are Summer, and so on.
Here’s our little 7-Seen table — Table of 7 S’s: 7 things that start with the letter S in Farsi, each symbolizing something.
For example, we grow “Sabzeh” — greens — out of seemingly dead grains, to symbolize rebirth. (I grew this Sabzeh out of lentils, starting 15 days ago.)
We place “Serkeh” — vinegar — to symbolize patience. (It takes time for grapes to turn into vinegar.)
We place “Seer” — garlic — to symbolize health, and gratitude. (Seer also means “full,” or “fulfilled,” in Farsi.)
When I was a kid, families also bought and put a live goldfish in a bowl on the 7-Seen table, to symbolize life. Shopping for the goldfish, picking the right one, bringing it home, and caring for it was perhaps the most favorite part of 7-Seen for kids. Now that folks are more environmentally conscious, many families use a fish figurine instead.
Happy Persian New Year — and I wish you all a wonderful, green, lively year, full of love and gratitude!
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