This past Tuesday the northern hemisphere began its tilt back towards the sun, and Iranians around the world celebrated the Persian New Year, also known as Norooz. (It can also be spelled Norouz or Nowruz, as it is a phonetic approximation of the word as written in Farsi, the language of Iran. This inexactitude drives me a little crazy, tbh.) 

In Iran, Norooz is an ecumenical holiday, meaning no matter your faith, you take part in the celebration. I liken it to the American Thanksgiving because as a holiday, it boils down to sitting at a table with your family. On Thanksgiving, we express gratitude for the blessings we have enjoyed in the past. On Norooz, we express hope and joy for the future. 

Our Norooz celebration was quiet this year because of travel, so I thought I'd share some of the beautiful images of Norooz traditions via Instagram.

If you would like to further widen your cultural view of the holiday, watch this short film from Time Magazine: 

Header photo by Hassan Almasi via Unsplash. 

My father likes to celebrate at his table by asking his guests to recite a poem. Yes, part of being a good Iranian is memorizing poems by Hafez, Khayyam, Rudaki, etc. As a result, I collect volumes when I see them. New in the shop is this hardcover copy of the Rubaiyat.