Greener Pastures of a New Year
By AK Rahim
The coming of spring is celebrated throughout the world in various festivities and holidays. Iran and Central Asian countries celebrate the season by holding a large, collective picnic! Throughout the region, families are spreading their picnic sheets and blankets to celebrate Sizdah Bedar, the final day of the Nowruz or New Year’s holiday rituals. Sizdah Bedar literally means “Be rid of 13th” or “Going Out on 13th”, traditionally celebrating the new agricultural year. Nowadays, it is a commemoration of nature, and the holiday is accordingly known as Ruz-e-Tabiat, or the Day of Nature.
Sizdah Bedar is a time for families and friends to come together and share in the holiday’s happiness and activities. People flock to their favorite parks in search of places to enjoy daylong picnics and outdoor activities. Accompanying every picnic spread, there is music, dancing, and family sports.
Persian holidays are full of symbolism and connections to the region’s rich history and mythologies, and Sizdah Bedar is no different. For the past twelve days, since the beginning of “Nowruz”, the Sabzeh – or greens of the Nowruz Haft-Seen display – has been collecting the pains and worries of the family. On the 13th day, the family releases the Sabzeh it into a stream or river, hoping to rid itself of the previous year’s negativity in the flowing water in order to start the year as fresh as a mountain stream.
Other Sizdah Bedar traditions involving greenery include young ladies tying knots with fresh grass in hope of finding a good husband, the knotted grass symbolizing union and youth. Additionally, while kabob cookouts remain a family picnic staple, greens and fresh salads feature prominently on the New Year menu. Similar to other regional holidays, Sizdah Bedar serves as an opportunity to spend time with family and close friends.
Wishing all of our NoosthTube supporters and a year full of greenery and freshness – both of the mind, and the palate!
Nooshtube Winning Haft-Seen
This year, Nooshtube held its first Haft-seen contest! There were several beautiful entries, showcasing the diversity of symbols within the Nowruz festivities. The winner for 2015 Haft-seen Contest is … Parastoo Rezai! Congratulations and thank you for sharing your beautiful display with Nooshtube!
Abdul-Kadar (AK) Rahim is a marketer and product developer with a healthy obsession with all-things culinary. He is part of NooshTube’s creative team, collaborating on content and marketing. Though brought up on the East Coast, he has a tendency to roam around the world, collecting stories and recipes along the way.