Nowrooz
And about Nowrooz: IT is the most important celebration between Iranian which should be held in the first day of the first month ( farvardin ) of shamsi year.
Times ago two big ceremonies were to be held each year. One, named Mehregan, was held in the first days of winter and the second one, which shows warm days, was Nowrooz (The first days of spring).
Nowrooz celebration even in Zoroaster time was held in the first days of Farvardin.
In Sasanien time Nowrooz wasn’t located in the first day of spring and Farvardin .It didn’t have a special day for its own. It was like the other Muslims celebration like Qorban , Fetr etc. One of the Saljughies kings decided to determine a special day for Nowrooz according to stars situation. So every four years, they consider a year of 366 days, named Kabiseh(leap year). In ancient times Iranian people held a ceremony in the last 12 days of Esfand named Farvardegan. They cried and remembered the dead persons and served their beloved foods. They believed that they were alive there beside their family and immediately after this ceremony they started Nowrooz celebration which was just for happiness.
Nowadays we don’t celebrate Farvardegan. In the last Tuesday night of the following year, we celebrate a custom named Chaharshanbe Souri(means a ceremony for Wednesday).The root of this tradition goes back to Zoroaster time because they worshiped fire…People collect something(like woods, straw, papers etc) to burn them and make fire with them. While they are jumping up the fire they whisper a sentence in Persian that is sung in the poem way which means "Take my sickness, give your cheerful color to my appearance". We prefer to eat vegetative foods for dinner and we have a kind of nut for that night which is called ajile chaharshanbe souri and that's it.
Nowrooz’s power was really interesting. We celebrate it each year. The whole family try to gather seven things (mostly the things which are common) which the first letter of each one begins with S (or sin in Persian) like SIB(apple), SERKE(vinegar), SEKKE(coin), SENJED(kind of a tree & its fruit which resembles the mountain-ash), SAMANOU(kind of dish with juice of germinating wheat or malt mixed with flour), SABZE(developed wheat), SOMAGH(no equivalent in English), also Qoraan , mirror and a small red fish which is in a jar. After gathering these, the families set them at table-cloth, sit round this collection and wait until the first minutes of the New Year. It is also a custom to say your prayer and ask God to help you have a good and successful year.
In the first days of Nowrooz we go to our relative’s house(for showing respect first the younger ones go to meet the older members of the family), meat each other, welcome each other with open arms and the guests will be served with nuts, cookies, tea, Samanou, candies and fruits. The elders give gifts (mostly money) to the children of the family.
It goes like this till the 13th day of Farvardin( the first month of spring in Iran) people go to the nature and wish a year full of happiness , success and beauty for themselves . it is custom to fasten the grasses and want your wishes .