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The correct term for the Now Rooz table is Haft Seenee (tray) and not the letter Seen. The latter is of recent origin but because it has been repeated over and over again it has gained legitimacy. 

If you have paid attention to any traditional Now Rooz table or for that matter tables set up by western businesses to solicit Persian customers, you will notice that on it are some colored eggs, a pomegranate, a live fish in a bowl, a mirror… to name just a few of the obvious items. The names of these items do not start with the letter Seen, nor do the names of many other items on the table.

So, since these items do not start with the letter "S” why are they there? Are there not supposed to be seven items starting with "S?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iranian culture is a very sophisticated ancient culture and the Iranians are known for their high standards and good taste. They like the table of their most important festival to be majestic, not meager with seven little containers holding dull brown items like sanjed, sumac and samanu, which will later have to be dumped.  

Rich or poor, Iranians like to arrange the most colorful table possible for their guests to partake of and they keep replenishing the items on the table. 

Moreover, their ancestors were called Wise Men (Magi). More than 2,000 years before the 16th century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, they knew that the earth was not the center of the universe. They had a very meaningful message to pass on through the spread on the Now Rooz table.

In Afghanistan, the Now Rooz table is arranged with seven types of fruits or dry fruit, irrespective of whether the names start with the letter "S.” It is called Haft Mewa.

We also read in history that people germinated seven types of grain as a symbol of Now Rooz.

Among the bas-reliefs in Persepolis, there are representatives of various nations in groups of seven carrying gifts for the King of Kings on the Now Rooz of 487 BCE.

In ancient times people arranged a majestic table with seven trays (Haft Seenee) on which were placed numerous items, some symbolic, others decorative, irrespective of how their names are spelt.

The common factor in all of these was the number seven. Hence, the real symbol of the Now Rooz table is the number seven which represents the seven eternal laws of nature that have been mentioned in the Gathas by Zarathushtra. Later, this fact had to be camouflaged to survive cultural genocide, which luckily it has. Now it is time to revive it.

"Truly, the Asha derived/ By the good mind/ Never before known/ Among the wise and all creation/ With it, make good rules and never waning/ Increasing righteousness/ Leading us towards perfection.”

Gatha — Yasna Ha 28.3

"And those who are righteous are known for/ Good deeds and use of the wise mind/ In harmony with wisdom in creation.

"Their aim achieved/ Their desire assuredly happiness/ Their reward, knowledge and/ being known as, righteous,/ faithful and are praiseworthy.”

Gatha — Yasna Ha 28.10 

These verses were later canonized to guide one’s path in life and were perused by all.

Good mind: Use your good mind to inquire and learn the                     

Ultimate truth: The laws of nature — the knowledge in nature — Use them to make

Good rules, good laws, good products, which will lead to               

Lawful desire: righteousness that will pave the way toward

Perfection: mental, physical and spiritual, which will lead to  

Immortality: In death being remembered for your good work for generations and in life by losing the fear of death, resulting in oneness with

The creator of wisdom: Khod Ah, Khod = Self, Ah = to come, to understand God through self-realization.

These are Vohu Mana — Bahman; Asha Vahista — Ardibehesht; Khash Atra Variya — Shahrivar; Spanta Armaiti — Espand; Hurvatata — Khordad; Ameretata — Amordad; and Ahura Mazda Khod-ah.

The seven trays on the table contained innumerable items, even a little broom. The significance did not lie in the items, but in the number "seven.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In conclusion one can say that as long as the number seven is represented the purpose is served. But not when you start giving superficial meanings to the seven items, which is what has happened with the Haft Seen. We have lost the connection with the higher values in life, the seven eternal laws derived from nature, and have have instead started talking about the ordinary significance of each item. For instance, serkeh, vinegar: I am sour but I am a good preservative, I symbolize preservation; I am sumac: exotic in my own way, I give kebabs a tangy taste, I symbolize taste; I am seer: garlic; I lower blood pressure, I pacify, I symbolize peace; I am senjed: the tasteless berry of the sorb tree, I am the fruit of a tree that provides shade in summer, I symbolize the shelter and security you need when you want to rest, etc.

Let us emphasize the true significance of "seven” and shed the superficial symbols. Go ahead, set up a majestic table with seven large trays and place in them all the things you love. Use your good mind to learn to produce good products, perform good deeds, help create a righteous society and achieve perfection in your profession — not to accumulate wealth but to live a happy life and become Amordad (immortal), leaving behind a legacy that your family will be proud of. Do something that will make your community, your country and the world proud of you and remember you for generations. In the process, you will achieve self-realization, Khod-ah.

Jesus Christ received the first three laws from the Wise Men, laws that have to be followed so that the rest will ensue. Jesus was tested (Mathew ch 4) and passed with flying colors. He finally said: "I and the Father are one” (John10). The people did not understand. He was stoned for blasphemy and handed over to the opposing culture to be crucified. A culture that believed God spoke to just one person and appointed that person as a go-between. A culture that deliberately and symbolically destroyed Persepolis — not in a drunken frenzy. 

The true message of the Now Rooz table dates from 3,761 years ago, so spread the right knowledge. For more information visit: http://ancientiran.com, http://zarathushticalendar.com,http://gathas.ca/