Nowruz: Persian New Year Welcoming Spring

NOWRUZ SPRING FESTIVAL OR NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION

In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the two-week Persian New Year celebration, or Nowruz, always begins on the first day of spring. On that day-which may occur on March 20, 21, or 22 - Nowruz celebrations include many traditions and wonderful foods: 

Nowruz ceremonies consist of a series of symbolic actions dating back to ancient times, including:

• Cleaning of the environment, cleansing of the self, confession of sins, the exorcising of devils, or divs, from the house and the community.
• Forgive yourself and your enemies and a time for making up relationships.
• Dowsing and re-lighting the fires.
• Processions to borders, seas, and rivers.
• Disruption of the normal order of things with boisterous parties.

A few weeks before the New Year, Iranians thoroughly clean and rearrange their homes. They make or buy new clothes, bake pastries and germinate seeds as signs of renewal. Troubadours, called Hadji Firuz or heralds of rebirth, disguised with makeup and wearing red satin outfits, sing and dance through the streets with tambourines, kettle drums, and trumpets to spread good cheer and the news of the coming New Year. The celebration of renewal is attributed to the Sumerian god of sacrifice, Domuzi, who was killed at the end of each year and reborn at the beginning of the new year. The Hadji Firuz’s disguised face represents his return from the world of the dead, his red costume symbolizes the blood and tragic fate of the legendary Prince Siavush and the rebirth of the god of sacrifice, while his happiness and singing represent his joy at being reborn.

In every Persian household a special cover is spread onto a carpet or on a table. This ceremonial setting is called sofreh-ye haft-sinn (literally “seven dishes’ setting,” each one beginning with the Persian letter sinn). The number seven has been sacred in Iran since antiquity, and the seven dishes stand for the seven angelic heralds of life-rebirth, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, patience, and beauty. The symbolic dishes consist of sabzeh, or sprouts, usually wheat or lentil, representing rebirth. Samanu is a pudding in which common wheat sprouts are transformed and given new life as a sweet, creamy pudding, and represents the ultimate sophistication of Persian cooking. Sib means apple and represents health and beauty. Senjed, the sweet, dry fruit of the wild olive, represents love. It has been said that when the wild olive is in full bloom, its fragrance and its fruit make people fall in love and become oblivious to all else. Seer, which is garlic in Persian, represents medicine. Somaq, sumac berries, represent the color of sunrise; with the appearance of the sun Good conquers Evil. Serkeh, or vinegar, represents age and patience.

To reconfirm the hopes and wishes expressed by the traditional foods, other elements and symbols are also placed on the sofreh. Books of tradition and wisdom are laid out: usually a copy of the holy Koran; and/or a divan of the poems of Hafez. A few coins, representing wealth, and a basket of painted eggs, representing fertility, are also placed on the sofreh. A Seville orange floating in a bowl of water represents the earth floating in space, and a goldfish in a bowl of water represents Anahita, one of the angels of water and fertitily, which is the main purpose of the nowruz celebration. The fish also represents life and the end of the astral year associated with the constellation Pisces. A flask of rose water, known for its magical cleansing power, is also included on the sofreh. A bowl of fresh milk, representing nourishment for the children of the world. Pussy willow branches, pomegrantes, figs, and olives, representing time. Nearby is a brazier for burning wild rue, a sacred herb whose smoldering fumes are said to ward off evil spirits. A pot of flowering hyacinth or narcissus is also set on the sofreh. On either side of a mirror are two candelabra holding a flickering candle for each child in the family. The candles represent enlightenment and happiness. The mirror represents the images and reflections of Creation as we celebrate anew the ancient Persian traditions and beliefs that creation took place on the first day of spring, or Nowruz.

On the same table many people place seven special sweets because, according to a three-thousand-year-old legend, King Jamshid discovered sugar on Nowruz (the word candy comes from the Persian word for sugar, qand). These seven sweets are noghls (sugar-coated almonds); Persian baklava, a sweet, flaky pastry filled with chopped almonds and pistachios soaked in honey-flavored rose water; nan-e berenji (rice cookies), made of rice flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with poppy seeds; nan-e badami (almond cookies), made of almond flour flavored with cardamom and rose water; nan-e nokhodchi (chick-pea cookies), made of chick-pea flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with pistachios; sohan asali (honey almonds), cooked with honey and saffron and garnished with pistachios; and nan-e gerdui (walnut cookies), made of walnut flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with pistachio slivers.

On the eve of the last Wednesday of the year (Shab-e chahar shanbeh sury, literally “the eve of Red Wednesday” or “the eve of celebration”), bonfires are lit in public places and people leap over the flames, shouting, “Sorkhi-e to az man o zardi-e man az to!” (Give me your beautiful red color and take back my sickly pallor!). With the help of fire and light, symbols of good, celebrants pass through this unlucky night-the End of the Year-and into the arrival of spring’s longer days. Tradition holds that the living are visited by the spirits of their ancestors on the last days of the year. Many people, especially children, wrap themselves in shrouds to symbolically reenact the visits. By the light of the bonfire, they run through the streets, banging on pots and pans with spoons and knocking on doors to ask for treats. This ritual is called qashogh-zany and reenacts the beating out of the last unlucky Wednesday of the year. In order to make wishes come true, it is customary to prepare special foods and distribute them on this night: Ash-e reshteh-ye nazri (Noodle Soup); a filled Persian delight, Baslogh, and special snacks called ajil-e chahar shanbeh soury and ajil-e moshkel gosha. The last, literally meaning unraveler of difficulties, is made by mixing seven dried nuts and fruits-pistachios, roasted chick-peas, almonds, hazelnuts, peaches, apricots, and raisins.

A few hours prior to the transition to the New Year, family and friends sit around the sofreh-ye haft-sinn. Everyone sings traditional songs, and poems of Hafez and verses from the Koran are recited. I remember an amusing story about my aunt. She would always carry a tattered divan of the poems of Hafez and, just prior to the Tahvil, while we were all sitting around the sofreh, she would ask each of us to make a wish so that she could ask Hafez about our fortune. Then she would lay the closed book, spine down, on the palm of her left hand while she passed her right index finger several times up and down the page edges. With her eyes closed she would ask out loud:

Ay Hafez-e Shirazi to ke mahram-e har razy! To ra be Shakh-e Nabatat qassam. . .

Oh Hafez of Shiraz, knower of all secrets, by the love of your sweetheart, Shakh-e Nabat . . .

She would continue with the rest of her questions in silence and finally she would open the book by placing her fingernail randomly into the pages. With the first glance at the verses on the page, she would cry out, bah- bah! wonderful, wonderful, how beautiful! She would go on like this for a good minute or two while we sat round-eyed and impatient, waiting to know our fortunes. At last she would begin the first verse of the poem:

Exactly at the moment of the equinox, my father would recite a prayer for the transition, wishing for a good life, and we would all repeat after him out loud.

Then traditionally the oldest person present begins the well-wishing by standing up and giving out sweets, pastries, coins, and hugs. Calm, happiness, sweetness, and perfumed odors are very important on this day of rebirth, since the mood on this day is said to continue throughout the year. An old saying goes, “Good thought, good word, good deed-to the year end, happy indeed.”

The New Year celebration continues for twelve days after the equinox occurs. Traditionally, during the first few days, it is the younger members of the family who visit their older relatives and friends in order to show their respect. Sweet pastries and delicious frosty drinks are served to visitors, and there is a general air of festivity all around. The children receive gifts, usually crisp new notes of money; in America, dollar bills. In the remaining days, the elders return the visits of the younger members of the family.

According to the ancients, each of the twelve constellations in the zodiac governed one of the months of the year, and each would rule the earth for a thousand years, after which the sky and the earth would collapse into each other. The Nowruz celebrations, therefore, lasted twelve days, plus a thirteenth day (representing the time of chaos) celebrated by going outdoors, putting order aside and having parties. On this thirteenth day, called Sizdeh bedar or outdoor thirteen, entire families leave their homes to carry trays of sprouted seeds in a procession to go picnic in a cool, grassy place. Far from home, they throw the sprouts into the water, which is thought to exorcise the divs and evil eyes from the house and the household. Wishing to get married by the next year, unmarried girls tie blades of grass together. There is much singing, dancing, eating, and drinking. With this, the Nowruz celebrations are completed.

The traditional menu for the Nowruz gathering on the day of the equinox usually includes fish and noodles. It is believed they bring good luck, fertiltiy and prosperity in the year that lies ahead.

• Noodle Soup – Ash-e reshteh, noodles representing the Gordian knots of life. Eating them symbolically helps toward unraveling life’s knotty problems.
• Rice with Fresh Herbs and Fish-Sabzi polow ba mahi, fresh herb rice representing rebirth, fish representing Anahita, one of the angels of water and fertility. Or rice with noodles, dates and raisins, or rice with barberries, candied orange peels and carrots.
• Herb Kuku- Kuku-ye sabzi, the eggs and herbs represent fertility and rebirth.
• Bread, Cheese, and Fresh Herbs – Nan-o panir-o sabzi khordan, representing prosperity.
• Wheat Sprout pudding – Samanu, representing fertitlity and rebirth.
• Sprout Cookies – Kolucheh-ye Javaneh-ye Gandom, representing prosperity and fertility.
• Ice in Paradise - Yakh dar Behesht, representing nourishment for the children of the world.
• Saffron Sherbet and Saffron Tea with Rock Candy – Sharbat-e Zaferan va Chai-e Zafaran ba nabat, representing sweetness and light.
• Baklava, Chick-pea Cookies, and Sugar Coated Almonds – Baqlava, Nan-e Nokhodchi, Noghl, representing prospertiy.

Find recipes on http://www.asiafood.org/persiancooking/newyear.cfm from New Food of Life: Ancient Persian & Modern Iranian Cooking & Ceremonies or Silk Road Cooking: a Vegetarian Journey, copyright Najmieh Batmanglij 1986-2004. Courtesy of Mage Publishers, 1032 29th St. NW, Washington, DC 20007.

“Let’s Move” at GYV

First Lady Michelle Obama recently unveiled her “Let’s Move” campaign a national public awareness campaign against childhood obesity.  A staggering statistic….one in three American children are overweight or obese, putting them at a higher risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other illnesses.  Here at the Global Youth Village, healthy eating habits are a way of life and we teach our participants the importance of a healthy balanced diet.

“Let’s Move” is a campaign geared to target all aspects of a healthy lifestyle including helping parents make better food choices, serving healthier food in school vending machines and lunch lines, making healthy food more available and affordable, and encouraging children to exercise more.

Here at the Global Youth Village, our daily activites and diet mirror what this campaign is trying to promote. Our menu is predominately vegetarian with tasty international foods and all of our dishes are prepared with natural foods and whole grains. The youth learn the importance of a healthy diet for their physical and emotional well being. Each day of our sessions we encourage our youth to get involved in one of the numerous recrational activities we offer!  So if your looking for a place to “Let’s Move” visit us at GYV!

Intercultural Chicken Scaloppini

At the Global Youth Village we have great innovative chefs. Did you know chefs are some of the first intercultural specialists? Every year our participants share and learn about international cuisine. They combine traditions and flavors and take ideas from all around the world and meld them together.  This week we want to feature Chef Tal. He was a guest on the Oprah show and has a great vegan recipe called Gardein Chicken Scaloppini.  READ MORE

Gardein Chicken Scaloppini Recipe

Serves 4

Udon Noodle Cakes:

• 4 packs (7-ounce single-servings) precooked udon noodles , still in their packages
• Sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

Pea Shoots:

• Pinch sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/2 cup faux chicken stock
• 2 cups packed pea shoots

“Chicken”:

• 4 Gardein breasts
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms , stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup dry sake
• 1/2 cup faux chicken stock
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (butter substitute)
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh chives
• Microgreens to garnish

Place a large sauté pan over high heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

Add the noodle cakes and fry until browned and crisp on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper as they cook, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and put in the oven to keep warm. 

To make the “chicken“: Flatten the Gardein breasts with your hand to 1/2 inch thick, then cut each into 3 pieces. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour.

Wipe out the pan you used for the noodle cakes, and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat over medium heat, then add the Gardein pieces and cook until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, heat over medium heat, then add the mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Deglaze the pan with the sake and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the Earth Balance 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly so that the sauce doesn’t separate. Stir in the chives. Return the Gardein to the pan and toss to coat it with the sauce. Cover to keep warm while you make the pea shoots.

To make the pea shoots: Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke.

Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the stock and pea shoots and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until wilted. Drain the excess liquid.

To assemble the dish: Place a noodle cake in the center of each plate. Top each cake with a spoonful of pea shoots, then top the pea shoots with 3 pieces of the Gardein. Spoon a little of the sake and mushroom sauce over the Gardein and drizzle it around the plate. Garnish with microgreens and serve immediately.

Happy Kwanzaa – December 26 to January 1

Information given by staff alum Dani Settle

Kwanzaa is a unique American celebration with focus on traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce and self-improvement.  Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and despite some misconceptions, is not a substitute for Christmas.  It is simply a time of reaffirming Black Americans, our ancestors and culture.  Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits of the harvest” in the African language Kiswahili, has gained tremendous acceptance,since its founding in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga.  Kwanzaa has come to be observed by more than 18 million people worldwide.

Kwanzaa is celebrated through singing speaking, dancing and feasting.  There are many symbols of Kwanzaa, the candelabra is called a “kinara.  The straw mat that the Kinara is placed on is a “mkekaa.  Ears of corn are also placed on the mat, one to represent each child in the household, they are called the “vibunzi” or “muhindi”.  A fruit basket is placed on the mkeka, and is called the “mazao.”  The unity cup is also placed on the mkeka is called the kikombe cha umoja.  The seven candles that are placed in the “kinara” are called the “Mishumaa Saba”.  Finally, all the gifts are called the “Zawadi” and are traditionally given on “Imani” – the last day of Kwanzaa.

On the evening of “Kuumba” (Dec 31) there is a feast called “Karamu”.  This is the main focus of Kwanzaa where cultural expression is encouraged. The last day of Kwanzaa, “Imani” (Jan. 1st) focuses on honoring traditions and reaffirming self worth through gift giving.  Gifts are often made rather than bought because Kwanzaa emphasizes creativity or “kuumba”-one of the seven principles. Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Sabo (seven guiding principles) one for each day of the observance.   Each day  one candle is lit to represent each principle. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.

Each day will start with the call “Habri gani” What’s the word…and ends with “Harambe” lets pull together.

The point of Kwanzaa is not one of gift giving or religious celebration, but a commemoration of heritage and togetherness.  Family and friends should find Kwanzaa to be a time of sharing and pulling together.  The guiding principles teach values we tend to lose in more modern and solitary society. Since the original ideas were to bring forth the harvest, the guiding principles bring people together to remind us how important we are to each other.

Chanukkah Begins December 11 – Happy Chanukkah

The story of Chanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.

More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Seleucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. Note that the holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory.

Traditions
Our rabbis taught the rule of Chanukkah: … on the first day one [candle] is lit and thereafter they are progressively increased … [because] we increase in sanctity but do not reduce. -Shabbat 21b, Babylonian Talmud

Chanukkah is not a very important religious holiday. The holiday’s religious significance is far less than that of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu’ot. It is roughly equivalent to Purim in significance, and you won’t find many non-Jews who have even heard of Purim! Chanukkah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of Maccabees.

The only religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah (or sometimes called a chanukkiah) that holds nine candles: one for each night, plus a shammus (servant) at a different height. On the first night, one candle is placed at the far right. The shammus candle is lit and three berakhot (blessings) are recited: l’hadlik neir (a general prayer over candles), she-asah nisim (a prayer thanking G-d for performing miracles for our ancestors at this time), and she-hekhianu (a general prayer thanking G-d for allowing us to reach this time of year).  After reciting the blessings, the first candle is then lit using the shammus candle, and the shammus candle is placed in its holder. The candles are allowed to burn out on their own after a minimum of 1/2 hour. Each night, another candle is added from right to left (like the Hebrew language). Candles are lit from left to right (because you pay honor to the newer thing first). On the eighth night, all nine candles (the 8 Chanukkah candles and the shammus) are lit.  On nights after the first, only the first two blessings are recited; the third blessing, she-hekhianu is only recited on the first night of holidays.

Why the shammus candle? The Chanukkah candles are for pleasure only; we are not allowed to use them for any productive purpose. We keep an extra one around (the shammus), so that if we need to do something useful with a candle, we don’t accidentally use the Chanukkah candles. The shammus candle is at a different height so that it is easily identified as the shammus.
It is traditional to eat fried foods on Chanukkah because of the significance of oil to the holiday. Among Ashkenazic Jews, this usually includes latkes (pronounced “lot-kuhs” or “lot-keys” depending on where your grandmother comes from. Pronounced “potato pancakes” if you are a goy.) Go to the holiday recipes section.

Gift-giving is not a traditional part of the holiday, but has been added in places where Jews have a lot of contact with Christians, as a way of dealing with our children’s jealousy of their Christian friends. It is extremely unusual for Jews to give Chanukkah gifts to anyone other than their own young children. The only traditional gift of the holiday is “gelt,” small amounts of money.

Information taken from jewfaq.org

Eid Mubarak to our Muslim friends at GYV

Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd ul-’Aḍḥā) or the Festival of Sacrifice (Turkish: Kurban Bayramı) is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide in commemoration of the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. As Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son, God intervened and instead provided a lamb as the sacrifice. This is why today all over the world Muslims who have the means to, sacrifice an animal (usually a goat or a sheep), as a reminder of Ibrahim’s obedience to God. The meat is then shared out with family, friends (Muslims or non-Muslims), as well as the poor members of the community.Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims. Muslims in Iran celebrate a third, non-denominational Eid commemorating teh Spring Equinox. Like Eid el-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a short prayer followed by a sermon (khuṭba). Eid al-Adha annually falls on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar. The festivities last for three days or more depending on the country. Eid al-Adha occurs the day after the pilgrims conduct Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan.

Tell us how you celebrate Eid al-Adha. Post a comment 

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