Remember the lentil seeds I was growing at home, for the Persian New Year, "Norooz"? (left pic)
Look at them a week or so later! (right pic)
The tradition of growing alive, fresh, green grass from dead, cold, hard seeds is one of my favorite symbolic acts of the Persian New Year.
We put this grass on the "Haft Sin" table -- literally, the "Seven S's" table.
Every family celebrating Norooz, all over the world, prepares its own version of the Haft Sin table -- these are seven symbolic things that all begin with the letter S, in Farsi:
- Sabzeh, or grass, symbolizing rebirth;
- Somaagh, a dark red spice you might have seen on Persian restaurant tables, symbolizing sunrise;
- Samanoo, a hearty paste made from wheat, symbolizing strength;
- Senjed, a wild olive native to Iran, symbolizing love;
- Serkeh, vinegar, symbolizing patience (because it takes time to become vinegar);
- Seer, garlic, symbolizing health; and
- Seeb, apple, symbolizing beauty.
This year, we added a Stegosaurus that my almost 3-year-old Issa painted.
The best traditions are alive! When we engage and interact with them, we make them ALIVE, not stale -- and they get to live for another generation :)
Happy Norooz! (March 19, 8:06 pm and 26 seconds -- see my earlier post about why that time, here: https://lnkd.in/gEhYNq6r)
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