Next: 21 Mar to 2 Apr 2027
Nowruz
Green sprouts, red goldfish, painted eggs and the red of jumped-over fires for the Persian new year at the spring equinox.
The colours of Nowruz
Nowruz, the new day, begins at the moment of the spring equinox. Its table, the haft-sin, holds seven things whose names start with the letter sin, and it is full of colour: a dish of bright green sprouted wheat for rebirth, red apples, purple-brown sumac, a red goldfish in a bowl, painted eggs, a mirror and candles. On the last Tuesday night of the old year people jump over small fires and say to the flames, give me your red and take my yellow, meaning take my sickness and give me your health. New clothes are worn for visits. On the thirteenth day families picnic outdoors and throw the green sprouts into running water. Parsis in India keep the day too.
#5DAA3ASabzeh greenSprouted wheat on the table: rebirth.#D9281EFire redThe health asked of the fire.#F2681EGoldfish orangeThe fish in its bowl: life.#E9D36BPallor yellowThe sickness given to the flames.#7B2D3BSumacThe spice of the table, the colour of sunrise.Values are fair approximations, not official shades.
Read about the colours
Written by the EveryRang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Nowruz" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.