Area Iranians spring into Naw-ruz celebrations

While Americans take great pride in many of their New Year’s Eve celebrations, probably not many of them involve jumping over a bonfire.
But that is just one of the many symbolic gestures celebrated with the beginning of Naw-ruz (or No-rooz, Norooz, Nourouz), the Persian New Year, which begins on the Spring Equinox and is their biggest holiday of the year.
Called Chahar-Shanbeh Soori, on the Tuesday night — and Wednesday morning — before the start of Naw-ruz, many Iranians set small bonfires, and people, young and old, jump over it, saying in Farsi “Give me your beautiful red color (symbolizing health). Take back my yellowish color (symbolizing sickly pallor and bad luck.)”
This year, Naw-ruz kicks off on Friday, March 20, and Clayton residents Hugh and Flor Toloui will be ready.
“It is a beautiful time of year,” Hugh Toloui says.”We celebrate the renewal of life — all life, human, animal and plants. It’s very significant.”
Naw-ruz — which translates into “New day”— actually lasts 13 days, and is steeped in symbolism, both spiritual and more mundane. Its roots can be traced back more than 50,000 years, says Flor Toloui, but it’s been in the last 2500 years that the celebration became a formal holiday.
Seven symbols
A major part of New Year ritual is setting the “Haft Seen,” a lavish table similar to American’s Thanksgiving table, but with seven specific items. In ancient times each of the items corresponded to one of the seven creations and the seven holy immortals protecting them.
Today they are changed and modified but some have kept their symbolism. All the seven items start with the letter “S” in Farsi, and include Seeb (apple), Sabze (green grass or herbs), Serke (vinegar), Samanoo (a meal made out of wheat), Senjed (a special kind of berry), Sekke (coin), and Seer (garlic).
The Tolouis swap out the wheat meal for a bowl of live goldfish, which represents a happy life full of activity and movement, Hugh says.
“The garlic represents peace, the sumac berry represents taste, the gold coin represents prosperity, and the apple represents the fruits of the world,” he says. “The fresh herbs represents the resurgence of nature, and the vinegar is for preservation.”
Like in most American holidays, the nuances of the celebration change from family to family, but it is still a “huge” celebration for Gitty Khatiblou and her family.
“We’re having a big family get together to start Naw-ruz,” she says. “There will be my mother, my daughter, granddaughters, sons and daughters-in-law, nephews, cousins, and even my daughters-in-laws’ parents, who are visiting from Iran.”
Khatiblou, who with Amir Hatambeiki owns the Shell station at the corner of Clayton Avenue and Kirker Pass Road, calls Naw-ruz “an extremely important tradition in my house.” Food plays a very symbolic role, she says.
The family will sit around the decorated table and play with a bowl of dried rice and gold coins, which represent prosperity and health. It is passed along to all members of the family who are there.
On the New Year itself, she serves rice with fresh herbs, and a cake with vegetables and eggs, again for luck and prosperity. On the second night of Naw-ruz she serves noodles, “which represent solving problems,” she says.
New clothes
Since Naw-ruz is about starting fresh, new clothes are bought for all family members, and are used in another important ritual: In the first days of Naw-ruz, younger friends and relatives visit their elders, and presents are exchanged. Hugh says he looks especially forward to those visits from two of his four children who live nearby, and his grandchildren. He and Flor also contact their own elders who are still living. If they cannot make it in person —”we are so far flung from our families these days,” Hugh says — phone calls, emails and greeting cards are exchanged.
As a member of the Concord/Clayton area Baha’i faith, the Tolouis visit the elderly people of their congregation, which Hugh lovingly calls “my other family.”
“The symbolism of these visits is unity, closeness and respect,” he says. “I have very happy memories of growing up in Iran and celebrating Naw-ruz.”
He has lived in the U.S. for 57 years, Flor for 27. They are 24-year residents of Clayton, but that hasn’t dampened his love of the holiday. “We all say, ‘there is something special in the air this time of year.’”
Speaking of air, since the 13th day is deemed unlucky, Naw-ruz celebrants leave their homes and go outdoors that day for picnics, large and small. On this day, the sprouts of herbs or grass that have been growing on the “Haft Seen” are brought out and tossed into a running water, like a stream, creek or river.
“People make a wish for the coming year,” Hugh says, and many young people use this ritual as a way of courtship, throwing in their herbs together. Children love it because they get to play outside all day.
“Naw-ruz truly is a celebration of Spring,” Hugh says. “Of course, if I lived in Boston right now, I’d really be celebrating!”
“It is a very happy time,” Khatiblou says.