Sa'at-i tahvil

Sa'at-i tahvil stands for the hour during which the old year ends and the new year begins. This is a very crucial hour as the family completes the forgiving of past faults and frictions. They now look forward to better relations with their kin. Cannons are fired in the town square, a song is debuted by a popular singer, and the nation’s leader gives a speech. Cannon

The family (dressed in their new clothes and holding good luck coins) gathers around the Haft Cinn display; they imagine a large bullfish carrying the world on one of its horns. The bullfish will throw the world from one horn to another and the tremor will roll the egg (which they believe brings good fortune) on the mirror and the orange flips over in the water bowl.

Once the egg rolls the family hug and kiss each other and exchange No Ruz greetings: Eid-i shoma mobarak! (May you have an auspicious new year!). They then proceed, especially in the children, to visit with all the family elders and then the rest of the neighborhood. The adults also have their own schedule of visitations and receptions. The head of the family stays at home till all the younger family members come and pay their respects. Then he goes out and returns the visits. The visits don’t last very long and tea and sweets are normally served. The round of visiting can last as many as thirteen days.

No Ruz Stamp

  • Sa'at-i tahvil Beliefs
    • the first thing one should eat is an egg since it is believed to bring good fortune
    • some traditions say the patriarch should eat all the egss that accompany the candles on the sofreh
    • a family member believed to have good fortune is sent out to become the first visitor
    • the good or bad fortune for the new year might be decided by the first visitor who enters the home after sa’at-i-tahvil
    • colors also can influence the future: white is considered auspicious, while black is associated with strife and grief
    • location is important because one might get stuck to that or a similar location during the entire new year, so offices, schools and bazaars are avoided

    rainbow bar 

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