How to Celebrate Persian New Year Far Away from Home?
Nowruz is the Persian New Year. Iranian students Hana and Tara celebrate it far away from home. Nowruz is the beginning of spring, it is traditions and good memories.
Nowruz, meaning New Day, is the Persian New Year, celebrated on the spring equinox. It is a time of renewal, family gatherings, and cultural rituals that go back thousands of years. ‘When I was in Iran, I used to celebrate Nowruz with my family: my parents, my grandmother and my sister and her husband’, says Hana Zare Karasadi, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Painting at the Frank Mohr Institute. ‘We’re a small family since most of our relatives live outside Iran. But we always make video calls to wish everyone a happy new year, even from afar.’
The new year officially begins when the sun crosses the equinox
Tara Mokhtari, studying for a Master of Fine Art and Design at the Frank Mohr Institute, shares a similar experience: ‘For me, Nowruz is about getting together with my mom and grandmother. We dress up and wait for the announcement on TV around the haft-sin. When that moment comes, we call relatives to wish them a good year.’
Persian New Year follows the solar calendar. The new year officially begins when the sun crosses the equinox. Because of this, the timing of the celebrations changes every year. ‘I remember gatherings starting as early as 4 AM and continuing well into the next day’, Hana says. Tara: ‘Every year starts differently. That’s exciting, isn’t it?’
Chaharshanbe suri is an ancient tradition where people jump over fire to bring health and good fortune
Back home, Nowruz is not just a one-day event. Celebrations begin weeks before, with khaneh-tekani, the traditional deep cleaning of the house to welcome fresh energy for the new year. ‘We start cleaning everything way before Nowruz to get rid of bad energies’, says Tara.
One of the most exciting traditions is chaharshanbe suri, which is celebrated on the last Wednesday of the year with bonfires and fireworks. ‘It’s an ancient tradition where we jump over fire to bring health and good fortune’, Hana explains. ‘It’s really fun!’
The big moment of Nowruz is marked by the haft-sin table, an arrangement of seven symbolic items, each starting with the Persian letter S. These items represent wishes for the year ahead, from health and prosperity to love and wisdom. ‘When I was a child, I would sneak pieces of samanoo, a sweet dish’, Tara laughs. ‘And, of course, as kids, we received money and gifts from elders, which was always exciting.’
‘I try to follow the traditions, it’s not like being home, but it keeps me connected’
Another tradition of Nowruz is sizdah bedar, which happens on the 13th day of the first month. ‘On this day, people go out into nature for picnics, eat in the open air, and make wishes by tying blades of grass together. Many do this as a way to find love in the year ahead, but since I’m not really a romantic, I just make a general wish!’, says Hana.
Being away from home during Nowruz comes with its challenges. Hana explains, ‘I have done a good job sticking to traditions. The biggest difference is that I celebrate with friends instead of family.’ Tara finds ways to adapt too. ‘I still make haft-sin and try to follow the traditions. It’s not like being home, but it keeps me connected.’
One major difficulty is finding traditional ingredients. ‘It’s hard to get the exact food, like samanoo and fresh sabzeh, which is sprouted wheatgrass’, Hana says. ‘We still try to gather the elements for the haft-sin table and make it look nice, but sometimes it turns into a bit of a mess! Ha-ha. But that’s part of the fun, and it still feels special in its own way.’
‘Celebating cultural festivitities are a good excuse for having many fun parties’
Both students agree that universities can make international students feel more at home and simultaneously create an opportunity for cultural exchange. ‘As Hanze is an international institute, I did expect to celebrate many traditions with my international friends. I got a bit disappointed as there is nothing like that happening here’, says Hana. Tara adds: ‘Hanze has a lot of Iranian students now, so it would be nice if Hanze would organise an event for cultural exchange.’
Despite the distance, Hana and Tara always find ways to celebrate. ‘Nowruz is about renewal and positivity’, Hana reflects. ‘I would recommend everyone celebrating things from their culture as much as they can since they carry a part of our collective history. And they are also a good excuse to have many fun parties.’ Tara agrees: ‘The best part of Nowruz is starting fresh, no matter where you are.’
Photo: Iranian art students Tara Mokhtari (left) and Hana Zare Karasadi (right) (foto made by Sadaf Khani)