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Italiano
Through the experience of Saman Javadi, born in Italy of an Iranian family, which has always been between these 2 worlds. A tradition that has always been connected with distant origins, a true memory of love.
Millennial tradition
نوروز (“Nowruz”) literally means “new day”, that is, the Iranian New Year, which coincides with the Spring Equinox. It is an ancient festival, already attested to the times of the Persian empire: King Darius had the capital Persepolis built specifically to spend the arrival of the new year with an official ceremony, where the best products from the various regions were brought.
When I was a child, I heard the word “Nowruz” from my parents in a way that did not go unnoticed. He expressed something good, beautiful, engaging. I saw it when my parents mentioned it talking to friends: in those years they met together at home, and they cooked basmati rice with saffron, we danced Iranian music, and I saw “the grown-ups” laughing a lot. Then there was the telephone, which made it possible to send “Nowruz” wishes in Persian to those who lived far away from us, in countries with different languages and time zones.
All this was not accidental. Meanwhile, because it was عید (“èyd”), that is, a party. Where it is natural to smile even before it starts, just thinking; and then show you your joy, freedom, playfulness.
A piece of Iran in the world
But what I did not understand as a child was that “Nowruz” was the only piece of Iran that could be reproduced outside the homeland, in the years when it was not possible to return because of the war against Iraq Not to mention how it was celebrated in the big starred hotels in Florence, London, and especially Los Angeles.
Today on Instagram you can admire the inevitable tablecloths with “Haft Sin”, that is seven objects that begin with “S” in Persian: the apple (sib), the vinegar (serkèh), the garlic (sir), the dried fruit ( senjèd), wheat cream (samanù), spices (somàgh), hyacinth (sonbòl). To these are added a mirror, a sequin, and a sprout of lentils: the latter is called “sabzèh”, and will be thrown away on the thirteenth day of the new year during the picnic called “Sizdèh be dar”.
Twitter also celebrates the Iranian New Year: if you try to type the hashtags # نوروز, #nowruz, and #PersianNewYear you will see an emoticon of the “sabzèh” appear!
Thanks again to Saman for bringing the magic of Iranian Nowruz to our site, we look forward to discovering his new article, due out tomorrow on our site. In the meantime you can follow him on Facebook and Instagram, at 10.58 pm we will officially enter the Persian New Year. Follow us on our facebook, YouTube and Instagram page, every like, sharing or support is welcome and helps us to dedicate ourselves more and more to our passion: telling the Middle East.
