Happy [Belated Post] New Years!

....and it went a little like this back in the south of Norway:
......then the much anticipated ABBAthon:
Damn, that was a fun flashback!

- jelsen

We Get MARRIED in:

...and lets take is back to New Years Eve in London 2004.

holy cow,
- jelsen

New Years Table /Sofre Haft Sin

I know you all must have been holding your breaths while waiting for me to post more about the new years celebration...ehem...So here are a few more images from a lovely celebration at my big sister, Atefeh's (a.k.a hostess with the mostess) house.

The first picture is her Haft Sin table. Haft Sin is the new years table and basically contains seven items that all start with the letter "S" and all have symbolic meanings. Here are the items up for selection (To make things way easier for myself, I copy-pasted directly from Wikipedia) ;

1. sabzeh - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
2. samanu - a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence
3. senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love
4. sîr - garlic - symbolizing medicine
5. sîb - apples - symbolizing beauty and health
6. somaq - sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
7. serkeh - vinegar - symbolizing age and patience
8. sonbol - the fragrant hyacinth flower (the coming of spring)
9. sekkeh - coins (prosperity and wealth)

It is also very important to have a bowl of goldfish to symbolize life and the sign of Pieces, which the sun is leaving. Every year for as long as I can remember I've stood in line at pet stores waiting to buy my share and I have even experienced stores being sold out!

Oh...and you guys MIGHT notice that we were short a couple of "S's", but my niece Frida decided she was gonna keep the sekkeh and sib for herself and we never got around to restock. On the next picture you can see her still mocking us with her hiding skills.


I also got the chance to hang out with my sweetness of a friend, Firuzeh. She is studying in France and we haven't seen each other since last summer, so it was a happy reunion. She was pretty as ever and I can't wait to see her again for the wedding!


-bahareh

Happy New Year / Eid Mobarak

Today Persians all over the world celebrate Norouz which is the mark of a new year and the beginning of spring. We now enter 1387 AP (Anno Persico). It is almost a national tradition to do an extensive spring cleaning of the house (Jels, I'll leave that up to you this year) and purchase at least one new set of clothes (check!) and finally leave their clean home in their new clothes to visit the elders in the family and then other family and friends to exchange gifts. This continues for 12 days and on the 13th day families (=EVERYONE) leave their house for a picnic outdoors to celebrate nature.

...to be continued (with pictures!) later.

-bahareh