Happy New Year 1396: Norouz in Iran

Well, we experienced our first New Year in Iran! It's a big deal here, and it's completely different than the celebrations of the New Year in America. Here it is called Norouz, which means New Day, and it occurs on the first day of the Spring equinox, so usually around March 21st. It's a holiday season that lasts about 2 weeks.

We had been warned beforehand that most stores close down for almost two weeks, so we stressfully stocked up on our groceries. Turns out that the stores were closed for just 1 week,  and since we have a car, it was easier to drive around to look for any small stores still open. 

On the eve of the the last Wednesday before Nowrouz, the fire festival called Chaharshanbe Soori (Red Wednesday) occurred. There were fireworks blasting all evening and night in our small little town. Not big productions as seen on the 4th of July in America, but mainly individuals shooting them up in the air. There's also a tradition of building a small bonfire and jumping over it. We did not participate in this tradition just because we hadn't heard of it, and it doesn't seem too fun (personally speaking). There's a lot of symbolism in the tradition, so here's a video that explains a bit more: 

Fire festival, called Chaharshanbe Soori. 

There is also the annual Spring cleaning that many Iranians begin at this time, cleaning the house from top to bottom. Professional artists, and city workers also take to the streets to beautify and clean up. It's called Khaneh-Tekani (shaking the house). We didn't really participate in this tradition either (haha!) Here's a video: 

Spring cleaning, Khaneh-Tekani: Shaking the house.

Artists in Tehran. 

In depth traditions here: 

Part 2:

The best and fun part of the Nowrouz traditions (I think) is the setting up of the Haft-Seen table! It has traditional elements, but you can be very creative when designing it.

Haft-Seen also spelled as Haft Sin (Persian: هفت‌سین‎‎, the seven seen's) is a tabletop (sofreh) or (Haft Mewa,هفت میوه, the seven fruit's) arrangement of seven symbolic items traditionally displayed at Nowruz, the Iranian new year. The haft-seen table includes seven items all starting with the letter Seen (letter) (fa) (س) in the Persian alphabet. 

The primary Haft-Seen items are:

1. Sabzeh (سبزه) – wheat, barley, mung bean or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
2. Samanu (سمنو) – sweet pudding made from wheat germ – symbolizing affluence
3. Senjed (سنجد) – dried Persian olive – symbolizing love
4. Seer (سیر) – garlic – symbolizing medicine and health
5. Seeb (سیب) – apple – symbolizing beauty
6. Somāq (سماق) – sumac fruit – symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
7. Serkeh (سرکه) – vinegar – symbolizing old-age and patience

Part of the extended table is the use of goldfish! I didn't want that part because we have owned a fish back in America, and I did not enjoy it. It's expensive and time consuming. However, my husband misunderstood my request to "get the Haft-Seen stuff," and he brought home a little goldfish for the table. I made him take it back to the store. Apparently, it's becoming a thing to NOT include the goldfish anymore, although many still do. If you have a large tank and ability to help these things survive for a long time, then go for it! Click here to learn more about the use of Goldfish during Nowrouz.

Anyhow, here's a photo of my humble attempt. I left several items in their original packaging because I didn't understand how things such as the pudding and dates can stay fresh for 13 days just out in the open (and didn't have room in our over-stocked fridge to keep them overnight): 

I did another one because I just wanted to try a different look: 

My 7 year old son even created his own table. It turned into a funny face by chance! 😀 

We got ourselves a cake to celebrate, haha!

Made a festive meal: 

The television had many programs celebrating Nowrouz, especially the day before! Every regular talk show had set up their own haft-seen table. It felt nice to participate in a holiday tradition that the entire country also did---a feeling that I rarely had while living in America. 

This show was decorated with vibrant colors and other fun stuff!

INSTAGRAM had many users sharing images of their haft-seen tables. 

I really enjoy looking at them all, take a look! 

Now, I'll briefly mention the figure of Haji Firuz, which is a character often depicted on Iranian haft seen tables. You'll know it when you see it. And if you're an American like me, you will be confused and curious. Here's the information that best explained it to me, from an article titled "The Afro Iranian Community, Beyond Haji Firuz Blackface, Slavery, and Bandari Music": 

"Many Iranians know and love Haji Firuz, the jovial singing icon that pops up for every Persian New Year, wishing everyone good and happy tidings for the upcoming year. While many regard Haji Firuz as a sort of Santa Claus figure, there is one marked difference between the two: Haji Firuz is black...A quick Google image search shows that Haji Firuz is still primarily depicted with blackface. Despite this blatant racism, the festive costume is devoid of its problematic implications for many Iranians. In Iran, historians like Mehrdad Bahar have tried to explain away the blackface with references to ancient Iranian symbols, but his theories have little basis in history and are met with much skepticism by academics. Instead, another scholar, Jafar Shahri presented Haji Firuz as a more contemporary addition to the Norooz cheer, an African slave who serves an Iranian master...Although many Iranians do not consider Haji Firuz beyond his brief jingle every New Year, his character represents one aspect of Iran’s long history of slavery. Haji Firuz, in fact, hails from the Afro-Iranian community in southern Iran..."

Please take the time to read the entire article by clicking HERE.

And finally, there was the last day of celebration:

Sizdah-Bedar, an ancient Iranian nature festival, is held on the 13th of Farvardin (first month in Iranian calendar) and marks the end of the Persian New Year (#Nowruz) holidays.

The occasion has deep roots in the Iranian history. The festivities include picnicking outdoors, in the parks or the countryside.

Although picnicking outdoors is the main event, there are other symbolic purposes for the celebrations such as appreciating nature, cleaning the mind from evil thoughts and spending the day outdoors to stay away from the unluckiness of the number thirteen.

We didn't really do anything on Sizdah-Bedar. Our neighbors, however, returned from their 2 week vacations the next day. All three of our neighbor families were gone, and it was so quiet! Now they're back and the daily routine has returned. My husband had the holidays off from his school as well. Hopefully, inshaaAllah (God Willing) next year we'll be able to go out onto the streets and be a part of other festivities surrounding the New Year. 

By the way, HAPPY 1396 !!! Live long and prosper :-)

Until next time, thanks for reading!

The Sabzi Saga

I've mentioned Sabzi, or herbs, before in other posts. A very common part of Iranian cooking and dining, I'm still getting adjusted to using them. For awhile I told my husband to stop buying them because the way they are packaged at our local store makes it very difficult for me to prepare. Okay, maybe not "very" difficult, but it's a bit of a task. The produce here is not pre-washed before packaging so it's dirty. Let me show you...

Mixed herbs in the store's package with some whole radishes thrown in:

Oh no,  look at the dirt!

Soak all the herbs in a big pot of water to clean them!

Ew, look at the dirt that came off!

Now spread the mix on a large surface to dry and sort.

Oh no, look, another bit of dirt. Must examine all the bits again.

My husband says it's strange 

that I take the time to separate all of the herbs, 

but I need to know what I'm working with! 

Speaking of sorting herbs, I'm not the only one. While watching an Iranian drama series on YouTube called, "5 Kilometers to Heaven," I remarked, "See! You need to sort the herbs!" Here, I made a little clip for you of the scene in which a woman is sorting her sabzi, but then her husband mixes them up, and she asks him, "Why did you mix up the herbs?" The best part of this short clip is the other lady's facial expression at the husband's silly answer:

Then comes chopping the various herbs and storing them in containers.

Speaking of knowing what I'm working with, I'm still not an expert there. I didn't use herbs in my cooking back in the States (mostly found them to be too expensive for our budget), so I'm still figuring out what is what. And with the bag not being labeled, I'm trying to guess what things are based on Mr. Google and asking friends. Here's what I think so far, but feel free to correct me!

I needed only basil and oregano for a recipe once so I asked my husband to buy just those two. He did not find them at the local store so he went to a small "farmer" stand near his school and asked for 5 TOMANS (under $2 U.S.) worth. He came home with a huge bag of greens, complete with the roots and soil as if the farmer had simply pulled them out of the ground before selling them to my husband. I'm all for being natural and avoiding chemicals, but it was a big mess! Clearly, I'm a spoiled American used to pre-packaged, pre-washed, expensive items indeed! It was after this incident that I told my hubs, no more herbs please!

Nevertheless, sabzi is a delightful Iranian treat! I put them on a plate and enjoy eating them raw! You should give it a try! Check out this recipe for Kuku Sabzi, an Iranian frittata like dish with loads of these great green gifts from the gardens! 

Thanks for reading! 

Settled

Several things have happened since I last updated this blog.

Trump was actually inaugurated as the President in the United States and has caused pain to millions around the world with his ugly rhetoric and executive orders. I'll only say that America needs a Mockingjay to inspire its people in seeing that The Capitol is run by The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. 

Now...on to more simple matters.

My eldest daughter turned 12. My second eldest daughter turned 11. I had a birthday party for them and invited several friends with their children to our apartment. It was the first time in a long time that I hosted a party at my own place with new friends. In Texas, I had a party for the kids every year. It was a nice way to focus on crafting decorations and gathering friends and family together. The party went well! I had hoped to cook some classic Iranian food, but due to lack of time and ingredients, I made a few simple meals. Turns out I live a lot farther away then my guests realized. They are all living in Qom, while I am in a nearby town. Still, it was a nice time!

A couple of weeks later, my whole family were invited to a friend's house for lunch. It was interesting to visit another apartment building in Iran. It was slightly different from ours of course, but also had some similarities. Their apartment had a lovely view of Qom and mountains from their balcony! 

I wish I could go out and explore Iran more, but for now, the kids and I stay close to home. You can follow my INSTAGRAM to see the photos I don't publish here on the blog.

I can say that we are definitely settled now. The first week I arrived, some people would casually ask if I'd gotten settled yet. I don't know if there are different definitions of settled, but I know for sure I didn't feel that way for the first few months. It's been 5 months now and thankfully, we are settled nicely! We have a routine. Our furniture and household items have a place and function that work (That is, do cardboard boxes as side tables count as furniture?). My husband bought a study desk, we put up a privacy curtain, a handful of shelves, bought a huge round plastic bucket and fashioned it into a bathtub, and even got a mobile Western style commode to place over the eastern toilet (ha)!  

Our internet and devices are on a stable schedule and easily accessed, so that helps our daily living a lot! We've had no major problems with electricity, plumbing, water, or heat thankfully. At first I really hated the way the shower room (it also has an installed Western toilet and sink) was so small and how the water goes all over the floor, but again, it's something that I've gotten used to now, and doesn't bother me AS MUCH (though it's still annoying of course). 

Another issue that has been resolved is our need for English entertainment. Although I was glad to watch familiar Western shows and movies here in Farsi, nothing beats being able to enjoy a show in your own language. A friend of ours mentioned that he has an extensive collection of popular English films and shows we could use. I was very relieved to be able to watch these during our free time. Since then, we've watched Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Hunger Games--all movies that I wouldn't have even wanted to watch in the U.S. since I was content with my cooking and design shows there (which they don't really have in Farsi either). But I'm glad to now be able to see what all the fuss about such films was about. It's the little things that make life comfortable, you know. 

Speaking of The Hunger Games (haha), the kids daily meals have become established as well. In America, frozen waffles, frozen pizza, pasta with sauce, etc. were quick and easy to give to them. Now in Iran, I spend a lot of time making things from (semi) scratch: pancakes, pizza (without a stove!), pasta sauce, and even popcorn the old fashioned way. We are more easily able to purchase and cook halal meat here so I am cooking with those more often now. We've found some snacks to be as "good as in America," such as "Ramen" noodles, pickles, chocolates--but my children are still very discerning when it comes to other things such as popsicles and pasta sauce. And the cakes here are good, but they all seem to contain nuts inside which my kids don't like. It's true, America has an easier line up of tasty treats! But that's only because it was what we were used to for so long. I personally was sad at first that the chocolate here was not the same as it was in the States, but have found some here that's equally enjoyable. You can find it all here in Iran, you just have to be patient enough to look around since there's not a big box store like Walmart that has everything under one roof. Oh, there're loads of ice cream and sweet shops here though!

One of my younger brothers is set to arrive here in Iran to study soon. I am glad to be able to have another familiar person here! Since he's coming from America, we've asked him to bring a few things along for us. If you're ever traveling to Iran from America, we expats will always appreciate some of the "good stuff" that your bring for us. It saves us the time and effort in having to seek similar things out here. And of course, there is something comforting about a familiar product that comes from the land where you were raised. 

We've been to the Holy shrine of Lady Masumeh (p) a couple more times.  Also, I bought a chador to wear. I feel like a sort of superhero while wearing it, as if putting on armor--yet still feminine. In this bottom photo, I am wearing it while facing toward a mihrab (prayer niche) in the wall of the shrine's courtyard.

It's always a great privilege to be able to visit the shrine and its surrounding courtyards, and I hope to spend more time there just sitting and contemplating the meaning of life.

Until next time, thanks for reading. 

Book City, Here We Come

Several weeks back, my daughter asked if there was any place in Iran that sold English books for tweens like her (Oh, we miss you Barnes&Noble!). We searched online and found there was a bookstore called Book City in Tehran that sold such fictional fun. I've wanted to go to Tehran since it's meant to be the lovely bustling city bursting with young fresh faced people living exciting lives (or something like that). So we planned to go one weekend, figuring it would take a one hour drive from Pardisan. 

First we had to get gasoline. There was a long line! My husband said it was normal and would go by quickly. He was right!

Our first stop was a rest station. It was really huge and really nice! Colorful and refined decor, restaurants, a toy store, a chocolate store, really clean and large bathrooms with a few Western toilets, and even a lovely fountain encased in classic blue swirly tiles.

So then we headed off toward the big city to find Book City. But then the GPS thingy said it'd be more like 2 hours to get to our spot. Oh no, cranky kids alert. 

We drove past the shrine dedicated to the resting place of the 

late Ayatollah Khomeini, peace be upon his soul.

Got into Southern Tehran...

And after a long while of driving around to find it, we finally did! 

But it was CLOSED! Oh no, kids weren't too pleased, and neither were me and my 

stressed out husband.

My kids wanted to give up and go home. But alas, my husband was not quitting! 

So we found another location for BOOK CITY! It was much smaller than the first one.

But it turned out that they did NOT have English books! The worker there said we'd have to go the Northern Tehran Book City location to find the English books. Aha! NORTHERN Tehran is where the cosmopolitan action is at. It's another 45 minutes away from the South. By then we were so tired that we decided to go back home. The kids bought a few little items from the store such as this cute eraser...

Then on the way back towards Qom we stopped at another rest station. It was very cool with arcade games and rides for the children. There were lights that changed colors, an eating area, and even a splash pad that obviously opened in the hot months only. There were a couple of Western toilets there but it was a bad experience since the floor there was wet, it smelled bad, and there was no toilet paper. But let's forget that. There was a nice little shop selling colorful ethnic looking items, a candy shop, and more.

We headed home to see some lovely Iranian mountains as the sun began to set. Maybe someday we'll get to Northern Tehran. I hope I hope I hope. InshaaAllah (God Willing).