Let's visit Iran in Nowruz

some activity ideas to create a ‘visit’ to Iran

Here are some activity ideas to create a ‘visit’ to Iran:

Decorate. Create a Persian theme with special carpets if you can find or borrow some, as weaving is one of the most amazing expressions of Iranian art and the country is the largest exporter of handmade carpets. Or make a pretend Persian carpet by painting large rolls of paper that can be taped together for the children to gather on. Add pictures or paintings of Iran’s diverse landscapes and wildlife, like the Persian leopard, on the walls.

Make Nowruz art. Nowruz is the Iranian New Year and it occurs on the first day of spring in March. On the eve of Nowruz, families celebrate by painting eggs for each member of the family and consuming a feast of at least seven dishes.

The most important activity in the celebration of Nowruz is making the haft-seen table. Haft is the Persian word for the number seven and seen is the Persian word for the letter S. Literally, the haft-seen table means a “table of seven things that start with the letter S’. Creating the haft-seen table is a family activity that begins by spreading a special family cloth on the table. Next the table is set with the seven S items. Here are some of the items and what they symbolize:
Sumac (crushed spice of berries): For the sunrise and the spice of life
Senjed (sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree): For love and affection
Serkeh (vinegar): For patience and age
Seeb (apples): For health and beauty
Sir (garlic): For good health
Samanu (wheat pudding): For fertility and the sweetness of life
Sabzeh (sprouted wheat grass): For rebirth and renewal of nature
In addition to these S items, there are other symbolic items that go on the haft-seen table, depending on the tradition of each family. It is customary to place a mirror on the table to symbolize reflection on the past year, an orange in a bowl of water to symbolize the Earth, a bowl of real goldfish to symbolize new life, colored eggs to represent fertility, coins for prosperity in the New Year, special flowers called hyacinths to symbolize spring and candles to radiate light and happiness. Each family places other items on the table that are special, for example the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, or the Shahnameh, an epic Persian story of colorful kings and princes written around the year 1000 CE.
Another important item to place on the haft-seen table is a book of poetry by the famous poet Shams ud-Din Hafez. Hafez lived in Persian lands during the 14th Century CE and wrote many volumes of poetry and prose narratives. Many Persians consider Hafez to be their national poet, and his historical status is similar to the importance of Shakespeare in the English-speaking world.     

Eat Persian food. Herbs and spices are the basis of so many Persian dishes, as well as local fruits like prunes, apricots, raisins and pomegranate. Saffron and cinnamon give some of the delicate and unique flavour that is special to Iran. Like curries to India, a staple dish in Iran is Khoresh, meaning stew. There are so many varieties from eggplant to lamb or beef and they often have the fruit and spices listed above. Try making a plant-based version of Khoresh e Gheyme with split peas for a simple meal children over 6 months of age can enjoy.

SABZI POLO BA MAHI: THE ICONIC NOWRUZ DINNER

Annually on March 20 or 21, Iranian people celebrate the beginning of the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz. Just like other people around the world, people in Iran cook their own traditional foods, such as Sabzi Polo, to mark the arrival of spring and the beginning of their new year.
Meaning Herbed Rice, Sabzi Polo is an inseparable part of Iranian’s table on Nowrouz (Persian New Year) –beginning of the spring-. It is one of Iranian’s favorite foods and through your visit to Iran, tasting Sabzi Polo is a must. They typically serve it with fish but you can also serve it with chicken or meat.
Same as so many other delicious Persian foods like Albaloo Polo and Khoresht Bamieh, it is symbolizing prominent elements of Iranian culture. The herb used in the food is a great representative of rebirth and the fish is symbolizing life for Iranians. So, in case you want to get closer to Persian Culture, it might be a good idea to cook Sabzi Polow with Mahi on March, 20.

Read a book about Iran. Happy Nowruz by Najmieh Batmanglij is all about cooking with children to celebrate the Persian New Year.

For more information about Nowruz click here.

For more information about Persian culture and traditions visit: https://www.visitiran.ir