Walk: Dentist and all over the place
Distance: 6 miles
So one way the management of Ciwt's new building alerts us to building happenings is by posting notices in the elevators. A few days ago they were about short water shutoffs and today there was this announcement: Persian New Year.
Having no idea what that was, Ciwt sat down at her computer to learn. Turns out it is called Nowruz (meaning new day in Persian) and marks the beginning of the Persian or Iranian New Year. It is celebrated worldwide in March at the spring equinox when winter changes into to spring in the northern hemisphere. This year Nowruz lasts from March 20 to March 21 in California.
It is considered a holy and joyous occasion and traditional customs of Nowruz include fire and water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, reciting poetry and more. People start preparing for Nowruz with a major spring cleaning of their homes, by buying new clothes and purchasing floweres, particularly hyacinths and tuips. Then on the holiday they welcome family, friends, neighbors and offer feasts always containing seven important elements: Sabzeh (wheatgrass grown in a dish), Samanu (sweet pudding made from wheat germ, Senjed (sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree), Serkeh (Persian vinegar), Seeb (apple), Seer (garlic) and Somaq (sumac).
It is an ancient holiday with deep roots, much lore celebrated all over the world - and, it looks like, some residents of Ciwt's building. Interesting to learn...
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