HaftSeen

Haft-seen is a traditional Persian table setting used to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year that coincides with the vernal equinox. The name Haft-seen translates to “seven S’s,” referring to seven items on the table that typically begin with the Persian letter sin and symbolize renewal, health, and prosperity.

The standard Haft-seen items are sabzeh (sprouted greens such as wheat, barley, or lentil), samanu (a sweet pudding made from wheat germ), seer (garlic), seeb (apple), senjed (dried oleaster fruit), somaq (sumac), and serkeh (vinegar). Each item carries symbolic meanings linked to growth, wealth, health, beauty, love, endurance, and patience, reflecting wishes for the new year.

In addition to these seven elements, the Haft-seen table commonly includes other decorative and symbolic pieces. These can include a mirror to reflect the past, candles for light and warmth, painted eggs, hyacinths or other flowers, a bowl with a goldfish, and often a copy of a book of poetry such as Hafez. The arrangement and exact components can vary by family and region, and some households add items with personal or regional significance.

The Haft-seen display is typically prepared before Nowruz and remains in place during the Nowruz celebrations, ending with Sizdah Be-dar, the thirteenth day of the new year, when a practice of discarding sabzeh outdoors is observed to relinquish ill fortune and invite fresh beginnings.

Across Iran and in diaspora communities from Afghanistan to Central Asia, Haft-seen is a central cultural ritual that accompanies communal songs, visits, and feasts marking the arrival of spring and the start of a new year.