It is Spring, Happy New Year

It is 4:21 pm on 20 March 2011.  It is now officially spring.

It is also Norouz, or the Persian new year.  Happy new year.

The Persian New Year is not just for Persians; it is celebrated by peoples in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia (the one next to Armenia), Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Kurdish territories, and of course in Iran.

One of the celebratory emblems of Norouz is the Haftsin spread.  Haftsin includes seven elements, all of which start with the Persian letter s (س).  These elements symbolize rejuvenation, affluence, love, health, patience, sunrise, and medicine (I cannot figure out the last one - but it is health-related I suppose).

For those who are tracking, this spring marks the Persian year of 1389 (۱۳۸۹).  Happy Norouz to all.