.....”what in kind intention you propose to give and ofer to all....That will be returned back in a thousand fold.....in an abundance of Divine goodness”.... Nowruz, Nuroz, Nowrooz, Nowruz The oldest of Persian / Iranian traditions, Nowruz (also referred to as eyd-i sar-i sal and eyd-i sal-i now) recalls the cosmological and mythological times, the start of spring’s /Sumer Equinox in an alignment in mid havens between east and west first day of spring (usually the 21st of March). The 21st of March, therefore, is equal to the 1st day of Farvardin Adoration of love between the Divine Creator and his creation, in the universal world, Ahura Mazda on Mother Earth,. Mazdian and Zoroastrian, Lighted candles, which represent the goodness and warmth that enters life with the coming of spring and the dissipation of evil that has had the world in its cold grip, are placed on the sofreh. In a large setting, an open fire would replace the candles. The number of the candles must be the same as the number of the offspring in the household. Often an egg accompanies each candle. It should be mentioned that the candles on displays must be allowed to burn themselves out. It is bad luck to blow out a candle. Holy Book A copy of familys holy book (i.e, Avesta, Torah, Injil (Bible), or Quran - depending on the faith to which the family belongs) is placed in a prominent place on the sofreh. The holy scripture refreshes the bond between the faithful and the source of good emanating from the light. Haftsin or seven edible things the names of which in Persian begin with the letter sin or s are placed in a tray or otherwise placed next to each other on the sofreh. Sib (apple), somaq (sumac), sir (garlic), samanu (a paste made with wheat sprouts), senjed (jujube fruit), sohan (a candy made with honey and nuts), siyahdane (sesame seeds), serke (vinegar), and sangak (bread baked on a bed of rocks) are the usual edible items from among which seven are chosen. Since the edible items on the haft-sin are not to be eaten until after the change of seasons, often non-edibles such as sekke (coins), sonbol (hyacinth), spand (the wild rue), sepestan (sebestens), samovar (samovar), or sabzeh (wheat or lentil sprouts) are substituted. The seven sins symbolically recall Ahura Mazda and the six Amesha Spentas who help him regulate the affairs of man according to the din or order prescribed by Ahura Mazdas Ahuric Order. It should be added that today the seven sins are interpreted rather differently, as the following example illustrates: Samanu sweetness, fertility, having many children Senjed love Sir medicine for recovering from evil Sib health, natural beauty, fragrance Somaq color of the sun at sunrise Serkeh age and patience; wards off bitterness in life Sohan sweetness in life Sabzeh purity, opulence, and good fortune Charshanbe Souri sorkhi-e to az man, zardi-e man az to It is I, says the person returning. Where are you coming from? From a wedding, is the response. What are you bringing with you? is the last question. Happiness and mirth, elated soul, a new spirite, is the response ruz, Farvardin eyd-i sar-i sal eyd-i sal-i now sali ye ruze Khwajah Piruz (Haji Firuz) Shab-i Joe Sofreh-i Nowruz sofreh Sabzeh and Khane tekani Mahee Kharid-i Nowruz Qashoq zani Falgush Tup-i Morvari Gereh Gushai Pishvaz-i Nowruz Needless to say, these interpretations are not sanctioned by any particular authority or based on any overall analysis of the theological and/or cosmological values that ancient Iranians might have had for them. What else can be an apt interpretation of sekke (coin) in this context but affluence, wealth, and prosperity? Ironically, this is one of the ss that comes into fruition right after the tahvil-i sal. The coins which equal the number of family members, are distributed among the members by the family patriarch (grandfather or father). Additionally, it should be mentioned that haft-sin could have been haft-shin--shir (milk), shekar (sugar), shahd (nectar), sharbat (compote), shane (comb), sharab (wine), and sham (candle)--in pre-Islamic times. Shin has been changed to sin to accomodate Islams disapproval of sharab or wine. Why that one item could not have been replaced with a different item befinning with shin is not known. Other traditions relate haft-sin or haft-shin to seven trays (sini) filled with seven delicious food items or seven different growing seeds, or seven varieties of nuts offered to the king. Others consider the seven ss to have been Life, Health, Happiness, Prosperity, Joy, and Beauty, all forming the seventh s which, according to Zoroastrian traditions, represents Truth. Still others contend that while the first tray to Ahura Mazda was empty (Truth is a combination of things with no substance of its own), the other six trays were filled with flowers, sugar, milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, eggs, water, mirrors, candelabra, burning coal, silver, and gold. These items, according to this belief, represent Truth, Good thought, Dominion, Piety, Prosperity, Immortality, and Obedience. A mirror placed on the sofreh face up with a plain hard-boiled egg placed on it in the middle. A bowl of clear water with an orange and a leaf of a rose bush floating in it. Live goldfish in a bowl of clear water The barley, lentil, or wheat sprouts that had been growing since early March decorated with a red ribbon around the outside and an orange seated in the centre. Happy Nuroz.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 22:24:58 +0000
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