NOWRUZ - Paaia · Where do they celebrate Nowruz? • Nowruz is not unique to Iran. It is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Turkeministan,

© PAAIA 2011

NOWRUZ(no-rooz)

The Iranian New Year

MARCH 2011

© PAAIA 2011© PAAIA 2011

Where is Iran?

Located in Asia

Borders the countries of Afghanistan,

Pakistan, Iraq, and Turkeministan

You cross the Atlantic Ocean to get to

Iran

It is 1.648 million sq km – which makes it

a bit larger than Alaska

There are over 68 million people living in

Iran


Let’s find Iran on the map!

Here is

where

we areHere is

Iran


How old is Iran?

Iran is a country that is over 2,500 years

old.

It was ruled by different kings for

thousands of years.

It was one of the largest empires in the

world that stretched from Africa to India..


Iranians discovered…

First charter of human rights

Algebra and trigonometry

First teaching hospitals in the world

First postal couriers

Games of backgammon and polo

First banking and taxation system

First bottles of wine, bowls of ice-cream, and refrigerators were found in ancient Iran.


What does Iran look like?

Iran has beautiful mountains.

The tallest is the

DAMAVAND Mountain.

Iran has part of the largest

enclosed body of water in the

world, called the

CASPIAN SEA.


Iran has large

deserts such as

DASHT-E-KAVIR.

Iran also has beautiful RICE

FIELDS .

© PAAIA 2011

Iran has four seasons…

Spring Summer

Fall Winter

Iran also has beautiful monuments and buildings….

Massolueh (Rasht)

Mosque (Isfahan)Persepolis (Shiraz)

Bridges (Isfahan)


What do people in Iran speak?

People in Iran speak Persian (Farsi). It is

written like this: فارسی

Let’s try some words in Farsi:

◦ Hello - SALAM

◦ Are you well? – KHOOBI?

◦ Thank you! – MERSI

◦ What is your name? – ESMET CHEEYEH?

◦ Bye – KHODA - HAFEZ


What is Nowruz?

Just like you begin a new year on January

1st of every year, Iranians begin the new

year on the first day of spring or

THE SPRING EQUINOX

Usually this day falls on March 19th, 20th,

or 21st.

This year, spring equinox and Nowruz

happen at INSERT DATE/TIME.


Where do they celebrate Nowruz?

• Nowruz is not unique to Iran. It is also

celebrated in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraqi

Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Turkeministan,

Uzbekistan, Kashmir, and Kyrgyzstan.

• Part of the national calendar in Canada.

• Part of declaration passed by US

Congress.


Getting ready for Nowruz….

Families clean their homes from top to bottom

Children buy new clothes and shoes

Families buy presents for each other

Families plan on visiting each other

Families set a NowruzTable


Charshanbeh Soori Traditional celebration occurs the last Tuesday

night of the year, celebrated with family and friends

Charshanbeh = Wednesday

Soor = celebration or feast

People make bonfires and jump over them, saying: “my sickly yellow paleness is yours. Your fiery red color is mine!”

Meaning you want the fire to take your paleness, sickness & problems and give you its redness, warmth, and energy.

Food and refreshments are served.


The Nowruz Table: “Haft Seen”

The family sets the table together

The table includes seven items that begin

with the letter S (seen) in Farsi

In Farsi it’s called HAFT SEEN (Seven S’s)

They each represent something specific

There are also other items on the table

that don’t begin with the letter S but have

a special meaning


The Seven “S” of the Haft-Seen

Table

Apple or SEEB

(health)

Garlic or SEER

(medicine)

Coins or SEKEH

(wealth)A spice called SUMAQ

(color of sunrise / new day)

Vinegar or SERKEH

(age & patience)

Hyacinth or SONBOL

(nature)

Wheat or barley sprout or SABZEH

(rebirth)© PAAIA 2011


Other things included on the

Haft-Seen Table

Chinese Dates or SENJED

(love)

Lit candles

(enlightment & happiness –

one for each child in the home)

Mirror

(cleanliness & honesty)Goldfish

(life)

Holy book

(faith)

Eggs

(fertility)


Here is a drawing of a Haft-Sin Table


What Happens During Nowruz?

Families gather around the Haft-seen

table and wait for the new year to start

They hug and wish each other a good

year

They exchange gifts

They eat sweets

They spend the day visiting family and

friends, beginning with the elders in the

family


Sizdah = 13 in Farsi

Bedar = sending / giving away or going

outside

Sizdeh Bedar

• On 13th day of the new year, families pack a

picnic and go to parks or outdoor areas. They

spend time with each other and at the end, they

wish on the sabzeh from

the Haft-seen table and

Send it down a water way,

such as a river, lake,

pond, etc.

© PAAIA 2011

Thank you!

Happy New Year!EID SHOMA MOBARAK

Documents

NOWRUZ - Paaia · Where do they celebrate Nowruz? • Nowruz is not unique to Iran. It is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Turkeministan,