Nowruz (New Day)
The Arrival of Spring Equinox
The First Day of Spring is a Non-Religious Celebration of the New Year for More Than 300 million Celebrants Around the World.
HAFT-SEEN
A major part of the Nowruz-New Year’s ritual is the setting of a special table with seven specific items known as the haft-seen (“haft” means 7 or “seen” in Persian). The items should be edible and grown with roots in the ground. In ancient times, each of the seven dishes and other items on the table were symbolic of the various attributes of life. These are Seeb (apple-beauty), Seer (garlic-health), Sabzeh (seed sprout-rebirth), Serkeh (vinegar-patience), Sumagh (sumac berries-joy), Senjed (fruit of jujube tree-happiness), and Samanu (boiled malt with flour-prosperity).
In looking at twenty million Parsi words, we cannot find another item that could fit the requirements for the actual haft-seen except for the above-mentioned seven. Today, some families add to these original seven “S” items additional items to round out their displays; these include Sekeh (coins-prosperity), colored eggs (fertility equal to the number of family members), a bowl with live goldfish (life and the sign change of Pisces), candles (enlightenment and happiness), and perhaps a holy book for those who celebrate as such. At the exact time to the minute and second, when the season changes, all family members gather around the table to greet the New Year and the elderly give money or coins to the younger members of the family.
This year, Nowruz begins on Friday, March 20, at 7:46 AM, which is the exact time when Winter turns into Spring, the Spring Equinox.
The UNICEF “Trick or Treat” Charity Fundraising Report:
ISSD students participated in UNICEF’s Trick or Treat Coin Box fundraiser. The funds go to help needy children around the world. The boxes were distributed in early October last year and were collected in November. The following are the results:
Total Coin Box Fundraiser Amount: $3,905.20
Top Class: Mrs. Hashemi (Persian 4) for a total of $614.04
Top Three Students:
1- Avissa Witzens – $600.25
2- Stella Rafii – $196.71
3- Sky Blureen Bahreman – $140.00
The fund was sent to UNICEF before Christmas. The top students and Ms. Hashemi will receive a certificate from UNICEF America. As a token of appreciation, the top class and the top students will have pizza with the principal.
ISSD Talent Show
Our annual talent show took place on January 9, 2026, at the Iranian American Center. More than 25 students participated this year, predominantly in music performances. They played piano, violin, santour, and flute, and included several vocal contestants. One student performed a mime. The performances were judged by Farhad Bahrami, Kourosh Taghavi, and Nushin Baradaran. The Center was packed with parents, friends, relatives, and supporters of our young performers. The performers listened to the judges’ comments, which were supported by the audience. Several students were selected to perform at the ISSD Nowruz celebration on March 8, 2026. At the end, all participants received a certificate of achievement.
