Goldfish and Problem-Solving Nuts: Scenes from Persian New Year

This week marks the end of Nowruz, the ancient Iranian New Year's festival that roughly translates to 'New Day'. Celebrated across a large part of the Middle East and Asia, this one of the world's largest spring festivals that takes place during the equinox. In Iran, Nowruz is considered the main New Year's festival, but it is also celebrated in Afghanistan, parts of Pakistan, the Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey, the Caucasus, and the Balkan Peninsula.

This event is dedicated to many things, including the advent of the fertile season, when food is a serious priority. Two weeks of family, gifts, and gluttony.

Its origins date back to a Zoroastrian festival which is present

Chahar Schanbe Suri

—the Wednesday fire—when bonfires are lit everywhere. People of all ages, shapes, and sizes dance around them to shake off the burdens of the old year.

"Problem-Solving Nuts," a special blend of nuts and dried fruits, are eaten. According to legend, nibbling on these will take care of all your worries.

By Wednesday, the fire is out. The remaining days until the New Year are taken up by the task of preparing the symbolic New Year's Table—the Persian version of the Christmas tree.

Seven things start with the letter Sin in Iran:

sekke

(coins),

sib

(apples),

sumagh

(spice mix),

sombol

(hyacinths),

sir

(garlic),

sabzi

(wheatgrass or watercress), and

serke

(vinegar). There's also a pudding made from sprouted wheat that lies on the table next to a mirror, goldfish, rice, clay statues of farmers, merchants, and animals. There's painted eggs, a book of poetry, and a holy book that should go on the table. Depending on the religion of the family, it's either a Koran, Bible, or Avesta for Zoroastrian families.

In Afghanistan, instead of including the seven things beginning with 'Sin,' Haft Mewa is put out on the table—a type of fruit salad made of seven dried fruits and fruit syrup. This tradition of consuming baked good and sweets right at the Equinox happens so that the New Year may start as sweetly as possible.

The last meal before the start of the New Year celebrates spring's impending arrival with green dishes on the dinner table. Sabzi Polo, a green dish consisting of chopped herbs, rice, fish, makes an appearance along with Kuku Sabzi—a version of a Persian tortilla, but instead of corn, it's made with herbs. The first day of the new year also brings on the first signs of gluttony: Reshte Polo is added—picture more rice that's been mixed with crushed egg noodles. This is supposed to strengthen one's tie to life, but you could lose it just as easily from celebrating too hard.

The next two weeks consist of family visits, small gifts, more sweets, and as many servings of herbed rice as possible. The festival ends on the thirteenth day of the New Year with a ritual called Sizdehbedar—the last big party of the season when everyone's encouraged to leave the house. Revelers throughout the entire region spend the whole day picnicking along rivers and streams.

This is the place where sprouted sabzi returns to flowing waters, obscene amounts of kebabs are grilled, and goldfish are set free (again).

Happy spring equinox!