Happy New Year—Again! Five Customs of Persian New Year

Every year at the exact second of the vernal equinox when the sun directly faces the Earth’s equator, the Persian New Year arrives.

This year Persian New Year, also known as Nowruz, arrives precisely on March 20 at 4:21 p.m. in California. Nowruz (which means "new day" in Farsi), is a legislatively recognized holiday in the United States. If you didn't notice, the Nowruz Resolution was passed by both the houses of Congress last March, so maybe it's time to learn about Nowruz customs before the holiday arrives this Sunday.

1. Haft Seen: For Nowruz, every household will display various symbolic items on a large table, called haft seen, which is probably the most pronounced feature of Nowruz.

On the haft seen, there are at least seven items whose names start with the Persian letter that looks similar to an "s." Each item carries a promise. For instance, coins are for wealth, hyacinth flowers for rebirth and germinated wheat or barley seeds for fertility.

Some of the items, such as ground sumac berries to represent the color of sunrise, are unfamiliar to many Americans. If you are curious, you can check them out at a local Persian market.

There are a number of Persian markets in the Bay Area including in Campbell, Cupertino, Mountain View, San Francisco, San Jose, San Rafael, Saratoga and Sunnyvale. The one in Cupertino is called Farm Fresh Produce, located at 10021 South Blaney Ave. And in Mountain View, , at 1060 Castro Street, is a popular spot for many.

2.  Fish for New Year's Eve: The main course for Persian New Year's Eve dinner is usually a rice dish made with fish and green herbs. This must sound familar to the Chinese because fish is also a must-have for Lunar New Year's Eve dinner.

But while the Chinese say the fish symbolizes abundance (because the words for "fish"  and "surplus" sounds identical in Mandarin, most of those who celebrate Nowruz seem uncertain about whether there is a symbolic meaning behind their fish dish. 

Websites that mention Nowruz, may claim a connection between the fish disch and the luck that comes with the act of fishing, but there is little to substantiate it.

3. House Visits: This is another Nowruz custom similar to what the Chinese do. For the first 12 days of a Persian year, people are supposed to visit family members and friends, starting with the most elderly. The house visits, which are usually reciprocated, never take place at a meal time so only tea and snacks need to be served to the guests.

Typical Nowruz snacks include assorted Persian cookies and a mixture of salted nuts, according to Simin Rouhulamin, the Iranian American owner of Alterations X-press in Cupertino.

4. Money for Children: While many mainstream Americans in the Bay Area have seen red envelopes around Lunar New Year, fewer know it's also a Nowruz custom to give children money. But the Nowruz money doesn't have to be put in a red envelope. It just has to be a new bill.

If you have given your Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese neighbors' children coins in red envelopes for Lunar New Year, why not find some new dollar bills for the Iranian and/or Afghan children you know?

5. An Outing: The Nowruz celebration ends on its 13th day with an outing activity that normally includes a picnic. The custom was initially meant to get away from "13," an unlucky number in ancient Persian culture just as in old Western culture. But nowadays this is more for families to go out and enjoy nature together.

The 13th day of this coming Persian New Year happens to be a Saturday here, which makes it easier for the custom to be carried out. Unfortunately, the weather predictions may be at odds with any plans for Nowruz picnics in local parks.

Here are some upcoming events for Nowruz around the Bay Area:

This weekend:

Nowruz Feast in Cupertino: Arya Global Cuisine Restaurant, owned by an Iranian American couple, will celebrate Nowruz with dinner specials plus live music and belly dancing performances the weekend of March 19 and 20.

Dinner packages including appetizers and desserts are $49 per person March 19 and 20. On March 20, the day of Nowruz, there will also be a photographer available to capture the evening. Contact the restaurant for prices on photos. For reservations, call 408-996-9606.

Next week:

Nowruz Celebration in Palo Alto: Persian Center, an Iranian American nonprofit based in Berkeley, will put on an elaborate Nowruz banquet at Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto March 25, starting 6:30 p.m.

The banquet will include fine dining, cultural performances and ballroom dancing. Tickets are $100 per adult and $50 per child under age 12.

Nowruz Celebration in Walnut Creek: The Persian Zoroastrian Organization will host a dinner event at 1751 Tice Creek Dr. in Walnut Creek March 26, starting 6:30 p.m. It includes a buffet catered by a kebab restaurant, live music and dance performance.

Tickets are $50 per adult, $30 per child ages 5-10, and free for children under age 5. Reservations can also be made for $440 per table of eight people. To purchase tickets, call 408-320-6796.

Final week:

Persian Music Concert in San Francisco: Iran's acclaimed Shams Ensemble, influenced by Sufi, Kurdish and Persian classical traditions, will perform at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco March 27, starting 8 p.m.

Founded in 1980 by Kaykhosro Pournazeri, Shams was the first group to compose music specifically for the ancient Kurdish tanbour lute. At the upcoming Nowruz concert, Shams will play music incorporating classical Persian poetry.

For ticket information, call 415-392-4400.

Nowruz at San Francisco City Hall: The elegant San Francisco City Hall will be filled with the graceful sights and sounds of Perisan traditions March 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Nowruz celebration will include musical entertainment, a haft seen (a large table displaying symbols of spring for Nowruz), plus Persian-style tea and refreshments.

It is a free community event open to the public but takes reservations and donations. For more information, click here.