Although its origins are said to be pre-Zoroastrian, the festival became a major Zoroastrian-Iranian celebration after Zoroaster (Zarathushtra).

Iranian-Zoroastrians all over Iran, particularly, in Yazd and Kerman provinces have continued to celebrate Mehregan in an elaborate fashion, very similar to NoRooz, for centuries. In recent years there has been a revival of this joyful and merry occasion, with more Iranians (non Zoroastrians) participating in this festival.

There are many accounts, legends & myths associated with the beginning of Mehrgan. Key ones include:

1. Broadly speaking, Avestan texts divide the Iranian year into two equal parts or seasons. The first season being summer and the second one winter. The coming of the two seasons would be celebrated through, NoRooz (spring equinox) and Mehregan (autumn equinox).

In the  Old Zoroastrian Religious Calendar, Mehregan is celebrated on the 16th of the seventh month (Mehr) at the time of the harvest festivals, and the beginning of winter. This feast would be celebrated for 6 days, starting on the 16th called “Mehr Rooz” and ending on the 21st known as “Raam Rooz”. The first day was called “Mehregan’e Khord” i.e. common or little Mehregan, and the last day “Mehregan’e Bozorg” i.e. great or greater Mehregan. In these days farmers had taken their harvest and they could pray God for it and relax. Therefore, Mehregan is also known as Thanksgiving festival.

2. Today, due to changes to the old Zoroastrian calendar,  Mehrgan is celebrated a few days earlier on the 10th of Mehr. However, some scholars believe Mehrgan should properly fall on the Autumn equinox (which is the 1st of the seventh Persian month i.e. Mehr), but it is usually celebrated on the name day of Mehr (10th day - current zoroastrian religious calendar).  I tend to agree with the logic of celebrating Mehregan on the first day of Mehr, since it would ensure consistency with NoRooz, which is celebrated on the 1st of Farvardin (the first month in the Persian Solar or Fasli calendar) i.e. Spring equinox.

3. Mehr day is also mentioned as the day when the first male and female, Mashi and Mashiane were created from Gayo-maretan (a concept similar to Semitic Adam and Eve).

4. Legend has it that Fereydoon’s victory over Azydahak ("Zahak" in Ferdowsi's Book of Kings) happened on this day. Mehregan is a day of victory when Angels helped Fereydoon and Kaveh become victorious over Zahak. They imprisoned him in the Damavand (Alborz) Mountain.

5. Some people have believed that Mehregan is the day God gave light to the world that had previously been dark.

When the Indo-Europeans lived together (pre Zoroastrian era), Mehr (or Mithra) was considered one of the great Gods of that time. After Zoroaster, Mehr (Mithra) became an angel or what is called "ezad" i.e. similar to a "saint".

The ancient Iranians thought Mehr was responsible for love and friendship, contracts and covenants, and a representation for light. Later, Mehr was also considered as a symbol of the sun. There again, Mehr was considered to be a god of heroism and warfare. The Iranian soldiers were strong believers and had songs for Mehr.

Though it must be noted that, thereafter, Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) advocated pure monotheism. The Gathas, which contain the very words of Zarathushtra composed in seventeen songs, know only Ahura Mazda i.e. the "Wise one". Ahura Mazda is the creator, sustainer and promoter of the universe. None of the gods of the old pantheon are mentioned in the Songs. Zoroastrians do not worship Mehr or Mithra.

Similar to NoRooz, it was customary for people to send or give their king, and each other gifts. Rich people usually gave gold and silver coins, heroes and warriors gave horses while others gave gifts according to their ability, even an apple. Those fortunate enough, will help the poor with gifts. After the Mongol invasion (circa 1219 CE), the feast celebration of Mehregan lost its popularity. However, Zoroastrians of Yazd and Kerman continued to celebrate Mehregan in an extravagant way.

For this celebration, the participants wear new clothes and set a decorative, colorful table. The table is decorated with the holy book of Khordeh Avesta, and a mirror is placed on the table together with rose water, sweets, flowers, some times a scale for showing the equality of day and night.  A burner is also part of the table setting for kondor (frankincense) and espand (wild rue) to be thrown on the flames.

Mehrgan Table

Seven types of fruits are seen at the table, usually, pomegranate, apple, grape, pear, senjed (fruit of the lotus tree), quince and citron. There is also a mixture of special nuts at this table. There are some grains such as: peas, beans, lentils and chickling vetch to symbolize last year's harvest and next year's plan. During Mehregan all families join together for observance and pray.

Roasted mutton is this day’s special dish. Some times this meal is distributed freely to all local people including the non-Zoroastrians. Other kinds of food and delicacies are also prepared to be shared by all (including dogs, which are venerated amongst Zoroastrians). There are special cookies which are prepared for this day and distributed in feast.

At the sunlight of first day of festival people are gathered near the biggest spring of the village and prayers for dearly departed are performed. Then people go to village houses singing and dancing. The host of each house opens the house door for them and gives some Mehregan’s nuts.  The collected nuts are taken to the temple in each village and given to the person who keeps the fire buring in the temple, asking him to continue the fire until next year.

The greatest observance is the lighting of a huge bonfire outside of a temple just after the sunset.

The rest of the days are spent feasting, praying, singing and dancing. A summary from One & Two

Other references for the post can be found  Here - and - Here

A video from Beshkan Dance Academy performing at Orange County for Mehregan 2007 - It is traditional and colorful.

Well, here is a related phenom i've recently discovered: that of folksy black characters appearing in totally unrelated cultures!

For instance, take a look at the case of Haji Firuz, the blackface character who traditionally wears a red outfit (like the American Santa Clause) & helps beckon the Iranian New Year, the Norooz.

Then there's Zwarte Piet, or "Black Peter" from Dutch & Flemish folklore. He acts as Sinterklaas's servant.

Interesting (but not surprising) how in both cases they've got some sort of subservient role... ah, dark iconography. Maybe I'll find more such examples in other cultures.

In Tehran, many leave their homes from very early in the morning to find a fair place to spend the whole day. Otherwise, they have to do their picnics beside the roads! The following pictures shows some of these events.

A traditional Haft Sin table celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is seen set Wednesday, March 19, 2008, in the State Dining Room of the White House. Nowruz is, in Persian and some other cultures, including Kurdish culture, a family-oriented holiday celebrating the New Year and the coming of spring. The Haft Sin table has seven items symbolizing new life, joy, love, beauty and health, sunrise, patience and garlic to ward off evil.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/03/images/20080319-11_p031908cg-0017-515h.html

I hope you have a wonderful year filled with joy, love, peace, health and prosperity.

As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday, it is also a holy day for adherents of Sufism as well as Bahá'í Faith. In Iran it is also referred to as an Eid festival, although it is not an Islamic feast.

The term Norooz first appeared in Persian records in the second century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 648-330 BC), where kings from different nations under the Persian empire used to bring gifts to the emperor of Persia on Nowruz.

Haft Sîn or the seven 'S's is a major tradition of Nowruz. The haft sin table includes seven items specificly starting with the letter S or Sîn (س in the Persian alphabet). The items symbolically correspond to seven creations and holy immortals protecting them. 

The Haft Sīn items are:

• sabzeh - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
• samanu - a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence
• senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love
• sīr - garlic - symbolizing medicine
• sīb - apples - symbolizing beauty and health
• somaq - sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
• serkeh - vinegar - symbolizing age and patience

Other items on the table may include:

• traditional Iranian pastries such as baghlava, toot, naan-nokhodchi
• dried nuts, berries and raisins (Aajeel)
• lit candles (enlightenment and happiness)
• a mirror
• decorated eggs, sometimes one for each member of the family (fertility)
• a bowl with goldfish (life, and the sign of Pisces which the sun is leaving)
• a bowl of water with an orange in it (the earth floating in space)

Here is a picture of my Haft Sin for Nowruz 1387 (20 March 2008).

Of course there is! Do we not renew Norouz each year. So let us also hear about it repeatedly as well. It is boring and even nonsense to repeat a scientific or a literary text. Wisdom rejects repetition, but sensations welcome it. Nature too, likes repeti tion, and the societies need it.

Nature is basically made up of repetition. A society is strengthened through repetition, sensations gain their life from it and Norouz is a beautiful, repetitious story in which the nature, sensations and the society are all engaged, yet it never gets old or boring.

Norouz, which has for long centuries been the master and most gracious of all the national ceremonies around the world, maintains its young, strong, lively existence, because it is not an imposed, an artificial or a political ceremony.

It is the ceremony of the universe, the happiness day of earth and the birthday of the sun and the skies. The glorious day when every natural phenomenon evolves, blooms and resolutes filled with the sweet anxiety of many "startings".

The national ceremonies of the other cultures often encourage men and women to leave their workshops, farms, deserts, alleys and streets, gardens and pastures, and then gather up in rooms under the ceilings, behind closed doors.

They gather in such surroundings as bars, dancings, cellars saloons and house... in places that are heated with gas, lit with light bulbs, filled with smoke, made pretty with artificial colors, decorated with paper or plastic flowers and ornaments, scented with perfumes or burning herbs... Norouz, on the contrary, grabs the people's hands kindly and pulls them joyfully along with it out of their small surroundings in rooms, behind closed doors, under ceilings, from among tall buildings and cement pavement s in and around towns into the glorious vast pastures, green areas and the broad, kind embrace of nature, where everyone feels free and jubilant.

The kind spring sun warms them and brightens their day, the glory of witnessing renewing of creation and themselves excites them, the wind and the spring rain beautifully designs new scenes which are already background with bloomed buds of various colors and scented with:

"Smell of rain,
smell of spearmint,
smell of soil.
And smell of boughs that are wet of gentle spring rain and shining clean"...

Norouz is a great chance for recollection of lots of great memories. Memories of relationship between man and nature, which is renewed each year. This forgetful child of nature who has got himself so much engaged in artificial affairs and pre-sceduled eng agements, that he/she has even totally forgotten his own lovely mother.

He/she is now called back to the kind embrace of his loving mother with the magical spell of Norouz. There, they will together joyfully celebrate this happy reunion.

The careless child will find out about his/her own origin in the kind embrace of his/her mother, and the mother's face will bloom in finding back her lost child, shed tears of happiness for this happy occasion, cry joyfully in spring thunders, get young a nd pretty another time, and briefly speaking, like the Prophet Jacob (AS), who regained his lost sight after smelling the scent of Joseph's (AS) shirt, will be bestowed a sharp sight to see her dear child once again.

The more complex or heavier our artificial, technical civilization will become, the more urgent the need to reunion with and return to the nature's embrace.

Thus, unlike traditions, that get old and incompetent, and sometimes even useless as time goes by, Norouz gets younger, prettier and stronger with the passage of time, and that is because Norouz is a third way for reconciling between the two sides of the long cultural aware that has been going on since the era of Lao-Tso and Conficious until the recent days of Roseau and Walter.

Norouz is not merely a good chance for relaxing and being happy, but a bare need of the society and the vitally needed spiritual food for a nation.

What else is capable of brightening up cold hearts, in a dark world, based upon ever-ongoing changes, revolutions, separation and loss, disintegration and dissolving, where the only thing that is stable and never subject to change is ever-renewing itself and instability?

What else can make a nation invulnerable in the cruel path of the carriage of time, which destroys anything in its path, breaks and crashes any pillar and demolishes any base?

No nation is formed within a night, one generation's era of even two. A nation can be described as the continuous string of many generations that time, this pitiless, thoughtless sword of nature, separates their physical connections along the course of th eir history.

Unfortunately, we cannot have a two-way correspondence with our ancestors those who have formed the soil of our nation.

The horrendous, deep valley of history is dug. The long, hollow centuries have formed a great impassable gap between us and them. It is only our traditions that speaking away from the sharp eyes of the cruel time executioner, can kindly take our hands and convey us spiritually to the other side of this terrifying valley, thus reconciling between us and our glorious past, our ancestors.

It is in the holy face of these traditions that we can feel their presence by our side today, and Norouz celebrations are among the steadiest, most gracious of these traditions.

Whenever we celebrate Norouz, it is as if we are taking part in every Norouz celebration observed on this land ever since the beginning of this ceremony. That is the time when all the black and white pages of history of our ancient nation are turned one a fter the other before our curious eyes, and we eagerly eye witness their events.

Believing in the fact that our nation has always celebrated Norouz in our homeland awakens these exciting ideas in our minds that... "Why sure, every year, even in the sad year when Alexander pained the facade of this country red with the noble blood of o ur nation, by the long blazing flames which were burning the beautiful Persepolice Palace, right there in the same year, our oppressed ancestors must have celebrated Norouz more seriously and more piously, amid their sorrows.

So dearly has been Norouz celebrated in those sad years, and all the years similar to them. A cause to be cheered despite all the miseries."

It has never been an excuse to be "careless, cheap and forgetful", but a pretext to announce the lively determination of our nation to be and to continue to be and maintain strong ties with a glorious past, which the time factor and the invaders of differ ent races have always tried in vain, to wipe off the scene of existence.

Norouz has always been so dear. To Zoroastrian clergies, to sagacious old men in ancient history, to Muslims, to Shia Muslims, and to Persian speaking people all over the world.

Everyone has considered Norouz a beloved one, and talked about it sympathetically.

Even the philosophers and scientists who have considered Norouz "The first day of creation, when Ahourmazda (God, in ancient Persians mythology) created the universe in six days, and was busy till the sixth day when this job was accomplished, and that is why the first day of Farwardin (the first Iranian month of the year) is named Hourmazd and the sixth day, "The Holy Day".

What a beautiful story it is. Even prettier than reality itself! Doesn't every human being honestly feel that the first day of spring is the first day of creation repeated again?

If God set a beginning for life on earth, that day must have doubtlessly been the Norouz day. Surely, spring has always been the first season of the year. God must not have ever made summer, winter or fall the first season of the year, may!

The fist grass on earth must have surely started sprouting on the first day of spring, the rivers must have started running then, and the buds blooming which means Norouz must have always been on the first day of spring, simultaneous with the renewing of creation.

"Soul" must have surely been created in this season. Love's first bow must have stricken a heart on its first day, and the sun risen for the first time on the very same day, marking the start of the clock of universe.

Islam, which wiped off all the discrimination and colors of racism and tribalism, and changed the form of many traditions, on the contrary polished the beautiful facade of Norouz. It approved of this glorious tradition, let is sapling continue to grow and get stronger, now with a strong, gentle support, safe from extinction in the first days of introducing Islam to the Iranians.

The two great events of appointing Imam Ali (AS) as the Prophet's spiritual inheritor on Al Qadir day, and choosing him as the Calif of the Muslims and Emir of all the believers (Amirul Mu'menin) have both been on Norouz day and surely what a great coinci dence!

Thus, all the abundant love, piety and belief of the Muslim Iranians in Imam Ali's (AS) right and holiness became the supporting resort for Norouz. This glorious celebration, which had begun its life with the ancient soul and love of a nation, was now dou bly fortified with the holy spirit of a great religion, Islam, as well.

A national tradition was thus intermingling with religious piety and the new strong love which had sprinkled in the hearts of these people, getting holier. During the Saffavid Dynasty's era, it even became an established Shia tradition, abundant with piet y and pure beliefs, now complete with special prayers.

As the history books reveal, "One year, when Norouz and Ashoura (the tenth day of the lunar month of Moharram, when Imam Hussein (AS) and his followers were martyred in Karbala-one of the saddest events in the history of Shia; a mourning holiday) coincide d, the Saffavid Shah spent that day mourning for Imam Hussein (AS) and celebrated the following day as Norouz!"

Norouz which is old and the dust of many centuries has set on its face, has witnessed the hymns of moqan (clergies of sun worshippers) calling and endearing it, the holy psalms of the Zoroastrians at their Fire-Temples addressed to it, Avesta's murmurs ca lling it holy names, and heavenly rhymes of Ahourmazd, praising it personally and secretly in its ears.

From then on, it has been praised with the holy verses of Qur'an and Allah's own words. Special salats (Islamic prayer, similar to five-time daily prayers) were devised for Norouz, as well as special prayers to be said at Norouz day and the moment of turn ing the year.

These were all coupled with love of Imam Ali (AS) and his just government in Shiaism. This approach pumped fresh blood in the veins of this old tradition, which has lived a long life along with all our ancestors since old days, and cheered up the moments of every one of us, with tender and profound love, always very sincerely.

The main prophesy of Norouz yet, is to polish the stains of sadness and hopelessness off the hearts of this nation, which has often been betrayed and even stabbed from behind, and blow the soul of jubilance in the corpse of this land and its people.

And yet that is not all. Norouz is responsible for strengthening the ties between the present generation and all our wise ancestors in the past on the one hand, and strengthen the ties of these all with mother nature on the other hand.

Above all, Norouz strengthens the ties of oneness among the present day Iranians, who have the bitter memories of suffering the invasions of many kinds, cruelties of both insider and outsider enemies, executioners who made minarets of their heads and mass acred many generations.

It melts the thick ice of the walls of being strangers among our nation and sows the seeds of being related to each other, flesh and blood. Thus, it fills the deep gaps of forgetfulness which often separate the hearts of different groups of the nation had it not been filled with the kindness of Norouz.

And we, in these happy moments, light the holy Ahouraian fire of Norouz once again, and deep in our conscience, tread the black death-stricken deserts of hollow centuries, and get ready to celebrate Norouz along with al the men and women, who once celebra ted this glorious national ceremony on this land. Their noble blood runs in our veins, our hearts beat happily with it and their souls once again start life in our bodies under the clear skies of Iran.

Thus, we proudly proclaim our lively existence as a happy wise nation, standing tall amid the heavy winds of horrendous incidents which are capable of uprooting any strong tree, but not our nation's.

We announce that we are alive and we will continue our proud existence on this land till the end of the time, even in this dark century when our enemies, and particularly the usurper West, are fiercely determined to make us foreign with our own culture, so that we will be their obedient slaves, with no personality of our own to rely on.

So let us renew our alliance with all our ancestors and with all the different races of our nation, as well as with our mythology in this historical intersection of time, beliefs and traditions.

Let us borrow the precious inheritance of love from them and promise to be faithful inheritors of it. Let us promise as a nation, never to die, or how in obedience to other cultures, because our roots are deeply delved into the rich culture of humankind, piety of religions and nobleness of an ancient nation that is standing tall at the great passage of history and at the scene of the whole universe.

source: www.shariati.com

Wats Happenin?!?

Its thursday and we have a long weekend for easter!

For all my fellow Romanians::

Pasti fericit! Cristos a inviat, adevarat a inviat!!!

For all my persians:

Norooz Mobarak!

today my outfit was horrible

but abtin wasnt here cuz of Norooz anyways.

tuesday will be better.

I'm Iranian and I live in Iran. This day (20 March or 1 Farvardin) is first day of spring and we celebrate it in Iran, because in this day begin New Year. We called "Norouz" these days.
I will write about any things in this weblog and my main reason to write in it, I will take IELTS exam and I want to practice for writing.
If you see many mistakes in my entries, please correct and write them in comment.
I hope you have good year with best wishes.

با آروزی بهترین ها برای دوستان، آشنایان و خوانندگان وبلاگ. همیشه موفق باشید.

 این فلش کارت های الکترونیکی به مناسب فرا رسیدن نوروز تقدیم شما عزیزان

پ.ن : امسال هم گوگل لوگوی خود را به مناسبت نوروز تغییر داد.

Då var det dags för ett nytt persiskt år. Idag inleds år 1387.
Ikevell belir det konsäär på eKulturhuset i Eeeståkhååålm, med Golbang, Bahram Bajelan med Rumi-ensemblen och så bandet Kateking. Det belir miikke roligt. ;)

Sorry, kunde inte låta bli att skriva med persisk dialekt.
Mer info om högtiden Norouz finns här.

Försökte hitta en snygg Norouz-relaterad film på Youtube, men hittade inget. Klippet nedan är visserligen fult rent visuellt, men den innehåller en fin gammal duett med Hayedeh och Sattar Ebi. Låten heter egentligen "Shabe eshgh" (kärlekens natt) men här har man ändrat det till "Shabe eid" (Nyårsnatten).

Eftersom nyårshögtiden trots allt handlar om glädje får ni två orelaterade men charmiga klipp som fick mig att bli glad. :)

Och slutligen måste jag tyvärr meddela att jag kommer uppdatera denna blogg mycket mer sällan under kommande månaderna. Detta för att jag ska hinna koncentrera mig på ett litet projekt.

Projektet är egentligen hemligt men för er kära bloggläsare kan jag dock avslöja ämnet: Jag ska till Mongoliet för att forska om heavy metalscenen där. En ny genre håller på att växa fram med Ula Bator som bas. Den mongoliska scenen fullkomligt bubblar och sjuder och metalofiler och metalologer världen över pratar redan om NWOMM (The New Wave of Mongo Metal) och "The Ulan Bator sound". Strupsång möter speed i umlautens förlovade land och jag vill vara där det händer.

Så, efter att yours truly har headbangat i Khövsgöl, stagedive:at från stäpphästar i Sükhbaatar, åkt Harley i Övörkhangai, brölat sig hes i Bayankhongor, blivit full på Yakmjölk i Govisümber och mosh:at i Mörön kommer boken "Mongo metal" inshallah snart pryda en bokhylla nära dig. ;)

Nowruz is the Celebration of Life; it is determined according to the spring equinox and coincides with March 21, or the previous/following day, marking the start of the spring in the northern hemisphere.

Nowruz's characteristic herald, the old tambourine man, Hajji Firuz, with black-painted face and a red garb on, goes out in the cities and villages and while dancing and singing gay and cheerful notes, spreads high spirits and delight among the public. He is the messenger of health, power, happiness and abundance in New Year. His traditional musical instruments are trumpet and tambourine; while his traditional song is "Hajji Firuz-e, Saali Ye Ruz-e", which means "It is Hajji Firuz, coming only once a year".
Along with his troupe of musicians, he strolls on the streets, alleyways, and other passages entertaining people. Generous people impressed by the performance often present the artists with some tip and at the end of the performance the members are invited to a nice Nowruzian meal, and finally granted an Eidi (Nowruz gift).

Esfand, the last month of the year is the high time for a welcoming preparation. To begin with, the housekeepers set out to do the spring-cleaning, "Khaane-Tekaani" in Persian, which mainly entails the washing of the carpets and the other must-wash items and furniture. The other preparation is growing "Sabzeh" (wheat, lentil, or barley seeds) in some pot, which is done about 2 or 3 weeks before Nowruz but today many people simply buy them. One other preparation to welcome Nowruz is "Nowruzian shopping", called "Kharid-e Nowruzi".It includes purchasing new clothes, sweets, flower (in particular hyacinths and tulips) and the articles of "Haft Sin ".

Number 'seven' has got a holy position in the Persian mythology. We are told of seven levels of earth and heaven, seven deities superior to others, seven constellations which controlled the fate of the mortals and even seven days in a week. Seven-S spread, in Persian called "Sofreye Haft Sin", is the inextricable component of all homes on Nowruz. Sofreh means spread or tablecloth and Haft Sin, seven-S. Zoroastrians of Iran used to decorate their Haft Sin in seven big trays each bearing seven kinds of foods. The role of Haft Sin is very comparable to that of the Christmas tree in the Christian countries. Each item has its own symbolism, which stems from the advent of the custom.

Haft Sin's most outstanding item is "Sabzeh" (the green sprouts of wheat, barley or lentil) which symbolizes rebirth and usually is beatified with a strip of red ribbon, while an orange may be placed atop. A glittering red or yellow "Seeb"(apple) is the second and stands for beauty and good health. "Samanu", kind of a sweet pudding or custard, is the next article symbolizing affluence. The following item stands for love and is called "Senjed", fruit of the oleaster or lotus tree. The forth one is "Seer" (garlic) and is the representative of medicine on the spread. Then there exists sumac berries, "Somaq", which epitomizes the color of the sunrise. And as the last article "Serkeh"(vinegar) epitomizes patience and age.

Different families or ethnicities may substitute some of the mentioned seven items with something else but those mostly accepted pieces were as enumerated. There also some articles whose initial is not "S", but count with the items of "Sofreye Haft-Sin". A book, preferably a religious one, an upright mirror, burning candles, colored eggs (as the Easter eggs), a bowl of water with an orange floating in, a bowl of water with a gold fish within, Iranian sweetmeats, confectioneries, different fruits, traditional Iranian pastries such as baghlava, "aajeel" (dried nuts, berries and raisins) which is another important component of the whole Nowruz festival, and the national colors of Iran.

Nowruz has its own particular dishes, too. "Sabzi-Polo Mahi", rice with green herbs and fish, is served on the night just preceding Nowruz, or on the same Nowruz day. On the next day "Reshte Polo", rice cooked with noodles is prepared. "Koku Sabzi" is served for the dinner and is made out of herbs and vegetable soufflé. On the last "Shab-e-Jom'e" -the eve of Friday- prior to Nowruz, "Polo" and "chicken" are served for supper.

Nowruz begins with "Saal Tahvil", which can be translated as year delivery. It is the very first instant in the New Year; the exact moment of the spring equinox. Everybody in the family, dressed up in his or her new clothes, gathers around the Haft Sin spread looking forward to "Saal Tahvil". As the countdown ushers in the New Year, the members of the family, rejoicing, cheer up, hug and kiss each other, and exchange Nowruz greetings, "Eid-e Shoma mobarak!" or "Sal-e No Mobarak" (Happy New Year). Now everyone, especially the children and the youth, moves on to make the rounds of the elders of the family first, then the rest of their family and finally their friends and the neighborhood. Adults, too, have a set schedule of visits and receiving visitors.

This custom that first the young call on the elder demonstrates the respect that Iranians pay to the aged people. Visits are short, so that a typical visit takes one about 30 minutes. "Eidi", new-year gift, is another characteristic feature of Nowruz. Within the family, it is the duty of the head of the household to grant the Eidi to the members of the family, the same can be true of the visitors as well. Of course, in the case of visitors only those who are considered younger, or lower in rank, would receive "Eidi". It is to be mentioned that the young visitors do not bring any gifs with them, and may only receive a gift. The rounds of visitations might last as long as twelve days, up to the day of "Sizdah Bedar".

Among all Persian ancient ceremonies, Nowruz with its different aspects in every region of the country has got no more real, fresher and deeper peer. Nowruz repeats and renews everything, generates and revives the nature and influences Iranian creative soul, emotion and thought.

Source: http://www.irpedia.com