Happy Naw Ruz Everyone!

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naw ruz bahai new year.pngTo one and all… Happy Naw Ruz !

May the coming year bring a bountiful harvest of blessings to you and your family.

Don’t forget to set out your ’7 S’ table!

Haft Sîn (هفت سین) or the seven ‘S’s is a major tradition of Norouz. The haft sin table includes seven items specific starting with the letter S or Sîn (س) in Persian alphabet). The items symbolically correspond to seven creations and holy immortals protecting them. Originally called Haft Chin (هفت چین), the Haft Sin has evolved over time, but has kept its symbolism. Traditionally, families attempt to set as beautiful a Haft Sîn table as they can, as it is not only of traditional and spiritual value, but also noticed by visitors during Norouzi visitations and is a reflection of their good taste.

The Haft Sin items are:

* sabzeh – wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish – symbolizing rebirth
* samanu – a sweet pudding made from wheat germ – symbolizing affluence
* senjed – the dried fruit of the oleaster tree – symbolizing love
* sîr – garlic – symbolizing medicine
* sîb – apples, – symbolizing beauty and health
* somaq – sumac berries – symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
* serkeh – vinegar – symbolizing age and patience

To learn all you ever wanted to know about Naw Ruz or Nou Ruz:

Nou Ruz – from a cultural and historic point of view
Naw Ruz – from a religious (Babi and Baha’i Faith) point of view

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  1. Are You Happy?

  • http://www.whitehanky.blogspot.com White Hanky

    Baquia – Happy Naw Ruz and Happy Vernal Equinox as well! It starts around 1700 tonight here in my time zone. Here is my NR/VE gift to you – a small poem

    The Vernal Equinox greets Dawn’s first light
    This Equal Day and Equal Night
    In soft sweet green, that colour of rebirth.
    Clad in flowers She decorates the earth.

    Blessings and thank you for the 7 haft sin traditions! I will attempt to do that if I can find the dried fruit of the oleaster tree hmm..I guess yew wouldn’t be the same? WH

  • http://www.whitehanky.blogspot.com White Hanky

    Baquia – Happy Naw Ruz and Happy Vernal Equinox as well! It starts around 1700 tonight here in my time zone. Here is my NR/VE gift to you – a small poem

    The Vernal Equinox greets Dawn’s first light
    This Equal Day and Equal Night
    In soft sweet green, that colour of rebirth.
    Clad in flowers She decorates the earth.

    Blessings and thank you for the 7 haft sin traditions! I will attempt to do that if I can find the dried fruit of the oleaster tree hmm..I guess yew wouldn’t be the same? WH

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    WH,
    thank you. The 7 S’s are just suggestions, not hard and fast laws :)
    the spirit of rebirth is the most important.

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    WH,
    thank you. The 7 S’s are just suggestions, not hard and fast laws :)
    the spirit of rebirth is the most important.

  • Darius Afnan

    Dear (disillusioned) Baha’i friend,
    Happy Naw-Ruz ( with some delay) to you too.

    As you know it, the story of Haft-Sin has nothing to do with Baha’i Faith or Baha’i tradition. You would never ever find any comment or suggestion in Baha’i writings in regard to this ceremony.
    Nor our dearly Beloved Master or Guardian has ever put an Haft-Sin table during the Naw-Ruz ceremony.
    From comparative point of view, surly you wouldn’t use a Christmas tree to furnish your Naw-Ruz table.

    with love

  • Darius Afnan

    Dear (disillusioned) Baha’i friend,
    Happy Naw-Ruz ( with some delay) to you too.

    As you know it, the story of Haft-Sin has nothing to do with Baha’i Faith or Baha’i tradition. You would never ever find any comment or suggestion in Baha’i writings in regard to this ceremony.
    Nor our dearly Beloved Master or Guardian has ever put an Haft-Sin table during the Naw-Ruz ceremony.
    From comparative point of view, surly you wouldn’t use a Christmas tree to furnish your Naw-Ruz table.

    with love

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    Dear Darius,
    thank you for your comments :)
    It is really up to each and every person how and which special days they want to celebrate. Having said that, Naw Ruz’s 7 sin table is a non denominational and non religious symbol of rebirth and life. All Persian Baha’is that I know do it each year. It is a beautiful tradition and I’m very glad they have decided to continue it. The wonderful thing about the Baha’i Faith is that unlike other religions it is not monolith. It is for the whole world and it encompasses all traditions and cultures.

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    Dear Darius,
    thank you for your comments :)
    It is really up to each and every person how and which special days they want to celebrate. Having said that, Naw Ruz’s 7 sin table is a non denominational and non religious symbol of rebirth and life. All Persian Baha’is that I know do it each year. It is a beautiful tradition and I’m very glad they have decided to continue it. The wonderful thing about the Baha’i Faith is that unlike other religions it is not monolith. It is for the whole world and it encompasses all traditions and cultures.

  • http://bahaisonline.net Steve Marshall

    The true facts about Baha’i Naw Ruz can be found at Online Learning Haven.

  • http://bahaisonline.net Steve Marshall

    The true facts about Baha’i Naw Ruz can be found at Online Learning Haven.

  • Priscilla Gilman

    Dear Baquia,

    Your blog is excellent, truly excellent. So perhaps it was just a momentary lapse in thoughtfulness which led you to write, “The wonderful thing about the Baha’i Faith is that unlike other religions it is not monolith.” There is much that is not pretty in the history and practice of the world’s religions, but, as the Baha’i Faith has yet to yield a diversity of ways and thought that comes anywhere near that of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or Judaism, a little religious humility on this matter would be more appropriate to the real situation. Maybe you meant that in the Baha’i Faith there is flexibility of practice, whereas in other religions there are rigid requirements. If so, I will only say that that idea is one of the prejudices and misunderstandings about ritual which is commonly cherised in the Baha’i community and which unfortunatly undercuts Baha’i intentions toward unity with other religions. I hope for the Faith that someday there really will be the lived freedom and diversity of ways in the community that I believe would give Baha’u'llah and Abdu’l-Baha pleasure. Unfortunately, as I think you know, such a flourishing does not yet characterize the Baha’i world, however diverse in ethnic origin Baha’is are. If such a change is to happen, Baha’is will need to be free to bring their cultural heritages with them into the Faith and to transform old traditions into new ones infused with a particularly Baha’i theology. Darius seems afraid the perfect Faith of God will be contaminated. I can’t say if this view is held by a majority of Baha’is, but in my experience it has done a great deal of harm to the development of the Faith.

    My prayer for Baha’is is that they will be relieved of the burden of being better than everybody else – a conceit which hasn’t served any religious community well – and free to join the crazy and beautiful parade of the fumbling faithful. This blog is one of the signs of hope I see for that future.

  • Priscilla Gilman

    Dear Baquia,

    Your blog is excellent, truly excellent. So perhaps it was just a momentary lapse in thoughtfulness which led you to write, “The wonderful thing about the Baha’i Faith is that unlike other religions it is not monolith.” There is much that is not pretty in the history and practice of the world’s religions, but, as the Baha’i Faith has yet to yield a diversity of ways and thought that comes anywhere near that of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or Judaism, a little religious humility on this matter would be more appropriate to the real situation. Maybe you meant that in the Baha’i Faith there is flexibility of practice, whereas in other religions there are rigid requirements. If so, I will only say that that idea is one of the prejudices and misunderstandings about ritual which is commonly cherised in the Baha’i community and which unfortunatly undercuts Baha’i intentions toward unity with other religions. I hope for the Faith that someday there really will be the lived freedom and diversity of ways in the community that I believe would give Baha’u'llah and Abdu’l-Baha pleasure. Unfortunately, as I think you know, such a flourishing does not yet characterize the Baha’i world, however diverse in ethnic origin Baha’is are. If such a change is to happen, Baha’is will need to be free to bring their cultural heritages with them into the Faith and to transform old traditions into new ones infused with a particularly Baha’i theology. Darius seems afraid the perfect Faith of God will be contaminated. I can’t say if this view is held by a majority of Baha’is, but in my experience it has done a great deal of harm to the development of the Faith.

    My prayer for Baha’is is that they will be relieved of the burden of being better than everybody else – a conceit which hasn’t served any religious community well – and free to join the crazy and beautiful parade of the fumbling faithful. This blog is one of the signs of hope I see for that future.

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    Thanks Priscilla, I mistyped, I meant

    mon·o·lith·ic /ˌmɒnəˈlɪθɪk/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[mon-uh-lith-ik] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation
    –adjective
    – characterized by massiveness, total uniformity, rigidity, invulnerability, etc.: a monolithic society.

    If anyone has the bouty of travelling the world and visiting the myriad Baha’i communities scattered about everywhere, one soon realizes that the Baha’i Faith is wonderfully diverse and multi-cultural. The Baha’is of Papua New Guinea will have their way of celebrating Naw-Ruz, the Baha’is of Argentina theirs, the Baha’is of China theirs, etc…

    I join you in your prayer that Baha’is may learn true ‘humbility’.
    Thank you :)

  • http://www.bahairants.com Baquia

    Thanks Priscilla, I mistyped, I meant

    mon·o·lith·ic /ˌmɒnəˈlɪθɪk/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[mon-uh-lith-ik] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation
    –adjective
    – characterized by massiveness, total uniformity, rigidity, invulnerability, etc.: a monolithic society.

    If anyone has the bouty of travelling the world and visiting the myriad Baha’i communities scattered about everywhere, one soon realizes that the Baha’i Faith is wonderfully diverse and multi-cultural. The Baha’is of Papua New Guinea will have their way of celebrating Naw-Ruz, the Baha’is of Argentina theirs, the Baha’is of China theirs, etc…

    I join you in your prayer that Baha’is may learn true ‘humbility’.
    Thank you :)