AUBites - Nowruz

As I know from my Kurdish and Iranian friends, there is a holiday that they celebrate called Nowruz which is the new year and it happens every year on spring. One of the elements that they use to celebrate is goldfish, which is to resemble life within life (fish in water)

I thought of why not show this within my comic noting that the only animals allowed in dorms are Goldfish and no other fish...

I had the help of my friend Mohammad Yaser Emamizadeh who is Iranian and knows mostly about Nowruz to write about it to contribute to Outlook. The article is next to the image.

Happy Nowruz everyone! سال نو مبارک



Nowruz is right around the corner and for some of us that means the special time of year, it is the new year! How can it not be? Spring has arrived and the clouds of winter have gone aside and opened the way for sunshine. The birds are chirping and nature looks greener than ever. While the earth is celebrating its rebirth, many of us also celebrate along. Nowruz is a tradition celebrated in Iran and many regions that share common cultural values such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kurds in Iraq, Syria and Turkey. It is the first day of the year according to the Iranian calendar. In this day families visit one another while wearing their new clothes, children receive gifts from their elders, and friends wish one another a happy and fruitful year. One of the famous traditions of Nowruz is setting the “Haft seen” (sevens “S”s) table. The table consists of seven items that start with the letter “Seen” (the letter S). Each item symbolizes a certain meaning. Sabzeh (sprouts) resembles rebirth, Samanu (sweet pudding) resembles wealth, Senjed (the dried fruit of oleaster tree) resembles love, Sir (garlic) resembles medicine, Sib (apple) resembles health, Somaq (sumac berries) resembles sunrise and Serkeh (vinegar) resembles patience. Other than the seven “S”s the table also includes a holy book, a book of poems, a bowl of water with a goldfish resembling life within life, a mirror which resembles cleanness and honesty, decorated eggs symbolizing fertility, candles resembling enlightenment and happiness, and my personal favorite which is traditional Iranian nuts that just taste great! Nowruz is a beautiful, meaningful and happy day, it is the time of year families and friends have the opportunity to get closer, so Happy Nowruz to all especially the AUB society!

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