Nowrouz, Iranian New Year, begins on the first day of spring That is usually on March 20th or 21st

On Nowrouz, Iranians: Make sure the house is totally clean Prepare for receiving guests with sweets, fruit, tea and dry roasted nuts Wear new clothes Visit relatives and give each other gifts Eat “sabzi polo” rice with herbs and “mahi” fish The most important thing is to forget the old grudges

Do try Sabzi polo Mahi if you are near a Persian restaurant

Iranians also set a “hafsin” during Nowrouz: a table which has seven items with names that begin with letter “s”

You can personalize your “haftsin” like this:

Like this:

Perhaps this

Even this!

The idea has inspired painters:

And producers of calendars and postcards:

The important thing is to have certain items like freshly grown herbs, colored eggs, and garlic in the “haftsin”

Freshly grown herb is called: “Sabzeh”

Some other items include: apples “Seeb”

Garlic “Seer”

And coins, “Sekkeh”

Vinegar as well: “Serkeh”

And, a paste made with wheat called: “Samanoo”

Colored eggs don’t have a name beginning with S but they are in the haftsin all the same!

The same is true of goldfish!

Iranians send beautiful postcards to each other on Nowrouz

Sometimes the card includes poetic descriptions of the spring in exquisite calligraphy like this one by Hafez of Shiraz (14th cent.)

Millions of people in and out of Iran celebrate Nowrouz, like these Kurdish ladies:

Or, these beautiful people in Tajikistan

Nowrouz means “a new day” When Iranians see each other on Nowrouz, they say: Sadsaal be in saalha literally: May you see a hundred years like this one!