This year, in Iran, the spring equinox time would have been the time for double celebrations. The Persian New Year Nowruz coincided with Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan. Nowruz is the most important celebration in Iranian culture. It is not confined to a single day or night, preparations start well ahead of time, and a convivial atmosphere lingers in the air, together with the spring vibe. It is also the time for spring cleaning. The house is completely swept of former year’s dust and dirt, the floors are cleaned, and the huge Persian rugs are brought outdoors for a good wash. All is executed with utmost care to start anew with a clean slate. The same is true for Chinese New Year celebrations, and interestingly, the exact same is true for the upcoming Jewish Passover, which starts on April 1. Christian Easter traditions also involve spring cleaning, which are also soon: Catholic Easter is on April 5, and Orthodox Easter is on April 12. In some practices, getting ready for the spring celebrations, also include getting rid of clutter and old clothes, as if cleaning off cobwebs.
Regardless of religion, ethnicity, or geography, all spring celebrations involve a thorough deep cleaning activity, from washing curtains to airing beddings, sanitizing bathrooms and kitchens. In some cases, it even involves giving a new coat of painting to the house. Usually, all the old foodstuff in the pantry, grains and similar items are finished off, to make space for new stuff. In Jewish practice, this means getting rid of all chametz, which is leavened grain products, not even a crumb may remain.
Despite the war, Iranians seem to be keen on celebrating, dedicated to hold together, even if they have deep conflicts among the nation. In a way this is the very essence of such celebrations, uniting people, ending family disputes, having a new page cleared of discord. It is also a spiritual cleaning time, when the quarrels between friends and neighbors, and family feuds must come to an end. The same is true for the Ramadan holiday, when people travel back to their hometowns to reunite with relatives. In Türkiye, for many people, the two religious holidays of the year, the Ramadan and Sacrifice holidays, are the only two times when large families come together around a festive table.
Encapsuled in an egg
When it comes to the table, shared meanings stand out, much like the shared practice of spring cleaning. The egg must be the ultimate shared symbol of all spring celebrations. The egg encapsulates a new life; it represents rebirth and renewal, symbolizes hope for the future. In the Christian tradition, it represents the Resurrection of Jesus, and in the Orthodox belief, dying eggs red, symbolizes the blood of Jesus. In Nowruz, the egg stands for the renewal of the life cycle, in belief that it will bring fertility. At the Passover Seder table, a roasted egg represents the festival sacrifice and mourning of losses, and the destruction of the Holy Temple, but also has the consolation element, a passage for a better future, leaving the bad days behind. Like life itself, the egg encapsulates both joy and sadness, but it surely symbolizes the future.
During Nowruz, eggs are not only dyed and decorated but also used abundantly in dishes. The essential Nowruz egg specialty is the kuku sabzi, a Persian egg frittata with copious amounts of fresh herbs and spring onions. Actually, all spring celebrations call for spring greens, the variety depending on geography, it could be foraged greens, fresh herbs, spring onions, or just young spinach. All is fine, as long as they are fresh and green. The new fresh greens represent the youth, the energy and the spring itself.
Sweets bring sweetness
In Türkiye, since the late Ottoman times, the Ramadan holiday is called as “Şeker Bayramı” which translates as “Sugar” or “Candy” holiday. It is the favorite holiday of kids; a period they can indulge their sweet tooth to the fullest. This is the period of endless visits, and every guest is offered sweets — morsels of lokum, aka Turkish delight, colorful candies, almond pastes, fruit jellies and so on. With every guest, there is a box of sweets or chocolates that comes as a gift, often with a small, sweet surprise for the kids. It is like a spectacular parade of sweets.
There is a general trust in sweets. People feel that sweets will bring sweet feelings, best displayed in the Turkish saying: “Tatlı yiyelim; Tatlı konuşalım!” literally meaning “Let’s eat sweet; Let’s talk sweetly!” Sweet things represent positive feelings, goodwill and peaceful harmony. There is no place for bitterness in a sweet-centered conversation. This is human nature; we have a soft spot for sweetness. Naturally, spring celebrations are no exception. Easter sweet breads and cakes, Passover nut cakes, Nowruz wheat puddings and dried fruits, they all bring the sweet taste to celebration tables. All spring festivals echo one another across the table. The context is clear: Share, unite, be sweet to one another, overcome disputes, and hope for a bright future. The tables may have different traditional foods, the tables may be set separate from one another, but the meaning is definitely a shared one.
