History of Persian Celebrations

Iran has a long and beautiful history, some of which revolves around a very persistent and strong tradition of celebrations and festivities. Because today's Iran has been through so many different rules that often brought with them new languages, nationalities, religions and cultures, there are many significant days which are rooted in ancient Zoroastrianism, Islam, and the traditions of distinct ethnic groups such as the Kurds, the Turks, and the Arabs. Most religious holidays today base themselves in old Islamic events. Ashoora is an example of this, where Shias are reminded of the struggles of Imam Ali and his followers. Others include Ramadan, the fasting month which is prevalent throughout the Moslem world. Perhaps some of the most beautiful celebrations that are still practiced among most Iranians are the celebrations for New Years and the Sofreh traditions which root back to Zoroastrianism. Throughout history, Persia has been invaded many times. One of the biggest invasions was the Arab invasion which brought with it the onset of Islam. In order to distinguish themselves from Arabs, Persian battled very hard to keep their identity. Ferdowsi's Shahnahmeh was the book of Shahs written for keeping the language of Farsi alive. Similarly, Persians felt their ancient traditions of celebrating Noruz, which signified the onset of spring, and other seasons very vital to their national pride. Today therefore, the Iranian people celebrate a series of feasts which involve different aspects of this long history.

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The Significance of the Persian Mirror

Whether for the Noruz celebrations, Mehregan, or a Persian wedding, the Persian mirror is the one constant that is always omnipresent at celebrations. Ancient Persians believed strongly in the four elements: fire, water, air, and earth. In addition, they called on various gods to help them through the different seasons. Perhaps one of the most important of these gods was the Goddess of light, known as Mitra or Mehr. She was a benevolent god, residing over knowledge, love, and commitment. Mehr has been represented in art and literature with a powerful lion, who is most often overcoming a bull. The bull represent ignorance and darkness. The people of Persia believed light and knowledge led one to the better path in life. To incorporate light into the festivals and ceremonies, they often used a mirror which reflects light and represent a bright future. Most Sofreh ceremonies incorporate an element of the Persian mirror, which ultimately symbolizes light and love. The addition of candles to the Sofreh allows for light to be multiplied and accentuated to create the desired effect. The Haft Sin for Noruz and the Persian Aghd ceremony also call on the Persian mirror as a source of good and brightness in the future of the family.

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The Sofreh for Every Occasion

Over the years, the traditional Sofreh has been a very intricate part of giving thanks or making wishes for Iranians. The word Sofreh means "spread", referring to the table cloth that is used underneath the Sofreh. These spreads are set on occasions to signify good things, mostly based in ancient Zoroastrian believes. One of the most important and prevalent one today of course is the Sofreh Haft Sin ("The spread of seven S's"). The significance of seven was to represent the "Seven Eternal Laws", which embodied the teachings of Zarathushtra. The teachings included having a good mind, good guidance, and discovering the ultimate truth among other things. These days, this has been shortened to the popular "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds" decree. Apart from having a sofreh for Noruz, for a wedding or maybe even for Mehregan, Iranians also set sofreh's to celebrate or pray to god for a certain event. This is called "Nazr" which involves a donation to the shrine of a beloved prophet, along with a get-together where the sofreh is spread and all are invited to partake. Some times, money is raised for the poor or needy. Often, food is also prepared for the disadvantaged and the person hopes that through these good deeds, he/she will get their prayers answered. These prayer are rooted in Islam and combine the tradition of the Sofreh into the Nazr. This sort of event usually involves a significant wish, for example the hope that a sick family member recovers.

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Constants of the Persian Celebration

If there is one thing Iranians know who to do, it is celebrating and having a good time. An every day party, or Mehmooni, is the typical celebration. This is a gathering of friends and relatives at someone's home and is the most common way to socialize in Iran. Parties will always have certain common elements, whether they are for Noruz, for a wedding or just a get-together. Iranians pride themselves on preparing great Persian food, and providing good entertainment. Live music, or traditional Iranian music, is one way to do this. Classical Persian musical instruments such as Kamancheh, Santur, and many others are a nice addition to a more traditional evening. Another constant is the element of dance. No matter where you go, Iranians love to show their colors by dancing to all kinds of music. Iranian music is usually very upbeat and can encompass very old traditional music to pop and rock. Of course, a Mehmooni would not be complete without the presence of fresh flowers, your best china, pistachios, ajil (nuts), fresh fruits, shirini (sweets and cookies) and of course unlimited servings of tea with sugar cubes..

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