Each spring, as many awaken from winter’s slumber, millions of people across the world celebrate Nowruz. or Persian New Year. Nowruz translates as “new day” and marks a festival of renewal, hope, and ancient tradition.
Rooted in Zoroastrianism, an ancient Iranian religion that focuses on the struggle between good and evil, celebrations date back more than 3,000 years and arrive at the vernal equinox, as spring is dawning. It is a symbolic beginning of a new year.
This year, Nowruz falls on March 20 at 9.01am. It is observed by millions across Iran, central and southern Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and even parts of the Balkans.
From setting the “haft-seen” table (more on that in a moment), gift-giving, and special food (and there’s a lot of food), the celebration is a masterclass in how to have fun while paying tribute.
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But beyond the festivities, Nowruz carries a deeper message: to embrace change, leave the past behind, and step into the new year with optimism.
A haft-seen table is the heart of any Nowruz festival. It consists of at least seven symbolic items, all beginning with the Persian letter “S”. Each represents a different aspect of life and renewal.
There’s the sabzeh (sprouted wheat, lentils, or barley) which symbolises rebirth and growth; samanu (sweet wheat pudding) that represents power and strength; senjed (dried oleaster fruit) which stands for love and wisdom; seer (garlic) for health and protection; a seeb (apple) for beauty and good health; somaq (sumac) marking the sunrise and the triumph of good over evil; and serkeh (vinegar) which amounts to patience, wisdom, and ageing.
Additional meaningful items can include a mirror, noting self-reflection; a goldfish, representing life and movement into the new year; and painted eggs to honour fertility and creation.
There will also be a Persian book in the hast seen spread, often Shahnameh by the great poet Ferdowsi. Widely considered to be the longest poem ever, it was written between 977 and 1010BC and recounts the history of pre-Islamic Persia.
Overall, the haft seen is often a beautiful and intricate display, a focal point at the centre of the room.
What’s on a traditional Nowruz menu?
The Nowruz feast is a grand culinary experience, featuring dishes designed to remind diners of prosperity, health, and good fortune.
First comes the kookoo sabzi, a herby, frittata-style appetiser (eggs: new life). Make lots of these as they go quickly. A bit of Persian yoghurt on the side works well too. Persian yoghurt is a basically what you’ll find labelled as Greek yoghurt in supermarkets. The Greeks stole it from the Persians, a bit like they did with feta cheese, philosophy and democracy. That’s a joke… sort of.
Rice Persian Kitchen
The main course might be sabzi polo ba mahi, a signature Nowruz dish. Fluffy rice is mixed with fresh herbs like parsley, coriander, dill, and spring onions, and served with fried or grilled white fish. It symbolises abundance.
Other Persian dishes — not on the traditional Nowruz table but are worth trying for those hoping to learn more about Persian cooking — include ghormeh sabzi, a fragrant lamb stew, salad shirazi made with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, and kotlet, which are tender lamb patties. And don’t forget tahdig, where fluffy, buttery rice is topped with a crunchy browned layer made at the bottom of the cooking pot.
No Nowruz table is complete without Persian sweets, representing sweetness in the new year. Popular here is baklava, a layered pastry with nuts and honey.
Baklava is a bit like hummus. Everybody thinks they invented it, but nobody really knows.
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Other classics include nan-e nokhodchi, which are bite-sized, melt-in-your-mouth chickpea cookies flavoured with cardamom, and sohan asali, a crispy, golden honey and almond brittle.
How is Nowruz celebrated?
It’s traditional to give eidi (New Year gifts) such as crisp banknotes to children and younger family members as a promise of good fortune. And many families also recite poems by the Persian poet Hafez, which offers guidance for the year ahead.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing any Persian people, you’ll know that they won’t need an excuse to dance. In fact, you can guarantee that there will be dancing before dinner, during dinner, and after dinner. It may even happen in between mouthfuls.
So, get your best Persian music soundtracks ready. I suggest a bit of Ebi, Leila Forouhar and Shahram Shahpareh to get it going and maybe some classical pieces by Mohammad-Reza Shajarian to slow the pace down when needed.
Manager Javad
Eat, be merry, and party like it’s Iran in 1979 (before the regime changed and the mullahs banned having fun).
So, it’s a happy 7047 (based on Mitrai Aryan calendar), 3763 (based on the Zoroastrian calendar) or happy 2584 (based on the unification of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great). Nowruzetan Pirooz either way.
Where can I celebrate Nowruz in London?
Berenjak in Soho and Borough has developed its take on ghalieh mahi for Nowruz, a bream stew served with pickled garlic and rice.
Naroon, which has sites in Marylebone and Fitzrovia, is celebrating with a set menu of Nowruz favourites as well as a few specials, including tahchin sabzi polo with mahi (fried fish with saffron and herb rice), anar mahiche (slow-cooked lamb) and zereshk (barberry) cheesecake.
Piers Zangana
For the whole Nowruz weekend, you can get sabzi polo mahi (a choice of grilled sea bass or haddock with herbed rice) for £18.50 at Rice restaurant in Chiswick.
Meanwhile, for a Nowruz take on the classic afternoon tea, the newly-opened Kiani Tea at the Royal Exchange in the City is serving up zereshk (barberry), saffron and cardamom scones, as well as sweets and teas for a British experience with a Persian touch.
And for just £35, Chef Javad in High Street Kensington is going to be celebrating with a set menu including sabzi polo ba halva sefid mahi (rice with herbs and white pomfret) served with garlic pickles, and kookoo sabzi, all to the background of live piano music and a festive atmosphere.