Nowrouz, Iranian New Year, begins on the first day of spring That is usually on March 20 th or 21st

On Nowrouz, Iranians: Make sure the house is totally clean Prepare for receiving guests with sweets, fruit, tea and dry roasted nuts Wear new clothes Visit relatives and give each other gifts Eat sabzi polo rice with herbs and mahi fish The most important thing is to forget the old grudges

Do try Sabzi polo Mahi if you are near a Persian restaurant

Iranians also set a hafsin during Nowrouz: a table which has seven items with names that begin with letter s

You can personalize your haftsin like this:

Like this:

Perhaps this

Even this!

Light has a symbolic significance in the Zoroastrian faith

The idea has inspired painters:

And producers of calendars and postcards:

The important thing is to have certain items like freshly grown herbs, colored eggs, and garlic in the haftsin

Freshly grown herb is called:Sabzeh

Some other items include: applesSeeb

Garlic Seer

And coins,Sekkeh

Vinegar as well:Serkeh

And, a paste made with wheat called:Samanoo

Colored eggs dont have a name beginning with S but they are in the haftsin all the same!

The same is true of goldfish!

Iranians send beautiful postcards to each other on Nowrouz

Sometimes the card includes poetic descriptions of the spring in exquisite calligraphy like this one by Hafez of Shiraz (14 th cent.)

Millions of people in and out of Iran celebrate Nowrouz, like these Kurdish ladies :

Or, these beautiful people in Tajikistan

Nowrouz means a new day When Iranians see each other on Nowrouz, they say: Sadsaal be in saalha literally: May you see a hundred years like this one!