Nowruz (March 21)

Because the date of the Nowruz festival follows the traditional Persian calendar, it ‘moves around’ a little in Western terms. This year it falls on March 20. Nowruz marks the Spring Equinox – the first day of the annual Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter cycle.

This graphic shows the Nowruz table. Along with a small fish in a bowl, it usually features seven items that begin with the ‘s’ sound in Persian:

• Sabzeh (sprouted seeds): for rebirth
• Samanu (a kind of sweet pudding): for prosperity
• Senjēd (dried ‘Russian Olives,’ which grow on a decorative tree Canadians sometimes have in their gardens): for love
• Seeb (apple): for beauty and health
• Seer (garlic): for protection from evil
• Somāq (sumac, the red seed head we’ve all seen growing wild in Muskoka): for sunrise after darkness
• Serkeh (vinegar): for patience and graceful aging

The priceless memories I brought back after several years in Iran mean that today’s post will focus on Nowruz rather than ‘Providence Point.’ Even long after returning to the West, I’ve never forgotten what life in Persia taught me about the beauty of ancestral values. One reason for writing ‘Providence Point’ was to demonstrate how memory and tradition can be honoured even here in the New World.

Is Nowruz or some similar Old World festival celebrated by yourself or some of your friends? If so, leave a Comment here.

(Illustration generated by AI)