Celebrating Nowruz

Written by: Jaclyn MichaelActivities by: Rochelle RickoffEdited by: Paul Beran and B. Summer HughesOutside reviewed by educatorsFunded in part by the Hassan Nemazee Fund

The Outreach CenterCenter for Middle Eastern StudiesHarvard Universityhttp://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/outreach

A Resource for Educators

�table of contents

2 IntroductionforEducators

2 HowtoUsetheResource

2 Contents

Curriculum

3 IntroductiontoNowruz

3 HistoricalBeginnings

3 PersianCulturalRoots

5 RitualsandTraditions

Chahar Shanbe Suri: The Fire Jumping Traditions

Tahvil: The Exact Moment of the New Year

Haft-Seen Table: The Table of Seven S’s

7 SpecialFoods

8 TheFinalDayofNowruz:Sizdeh Bedar

Activities for the Classroom

9 Activity1:CreateaNowruzGreetingCard

�0 Activity2:GrowYourOwnSabzeh

�� Activity3:CreateaPersonalHaft-SeenTable

�3 Activity4:ColorEggs

�4 Activity5:CreativeWritingProject

Resources

�5 Definitions(words that are in bold print in the text are defined in this section)

�6 CurriculumTextBibliography

�6 AnnotatedBibliographyandOtherResources

Table of Contents

2introduction

Introduction For EducatorsCulturalcelebrationsandfestivalsarecommontopeopleallovertheworld.Theseeventscelebratedifferent

historicalandculturalpracticesandsharesomeimportantcommunityfunctions.Oftenholidayslikethesebring

togetherfamiliesandcommunities,andintroducenewgenerationstotraditionalfood,dance,musicandhandicrafts.

SpecialcelebrationsareincorporatedintoK–12curriculainordertointroducestudentstodiversepeoplesand

cultures.Learningaboutmulti-culturalcelebrationsallowsbothstudentsandteacherstoidentifyaspectsofcultural

uniquenesswhilebeingpartofaglobalfamily.Intheincreasinglyglobalizedworld,interactingwiththebeautyof

culturalcelebrationsisahumanizingexperiencethatencouragestheappreciationofdiversity.Itisinthisspiritthat

Celebrating Nowruzhasbeenassembled.

How to Use the ResourceThankyouforchoosingtouseCelebrating Nowruz: A Resource for Educators.Pleasefeelfreetopickandchoose

partsoftheresourcethatmostfitwithyourclassroomneeds.Celebrating Nowruziscomposedoftwoparts.

ThefirstpartconsistsoftheresourcenarrativeandevaluationPDFdocumentsontheOutreachCenterwebsite

(http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/outreach).Thesecondpartismade-upoftheaccompanyingmaterials,suchas

booksandaudio-visualresources,forusewithsomeoftheactivities.Theseitemswillbesenttoyouuponrequest

totheOutreachCenter(cmesoc@fas.harvard.edu).

ContentsOnecopyofCelebrating Nowruz: Persian New Year.YassamanJalaliandMarjanZamanian.

SamanPublishing,2003.(book)

OnecopyofBabak and Friends: A First Norooz.DustinEllisandRoddMiller.NoroozProductions,2005.

(DVD/book)

OnecopyofWonders of Persia.NazliIraniMonahan.AarrowPublications,2001.(book)

Suppliesforahaft-seentable,suchas:

Sumac(crushedspiceofberries),senjed(sweet,dryfruitofthelotustree),wheatgrassseeds

(forthesabzehactivity),eggcoloringkits,candles,andabottleofRosewater.

3

Introduction to NowruzNowruz(pronouncedno-rooz)isacombinationoftwoPersianwords.Thefirstword“now”meansnewandthe

secondword“ruz”meansday;togethertheymean“NewDay.”Nowruzisthenameforthecelebrationsthatobserve

theNewYearformanyPersianandCentralAsiancommunities.TheexactbeginningoftheNewYearoccurswhen

theseasonchangesfromwintertospringonthevernalequinox,whichusuallyhappenson20or21Marcheach

year.ThespellingofNowruzinEnglishcantakemanyforms,including:Noroz,Norouz,NowruzandNorooz.Forthis

resourcewehaveusedthespellingNowruz.

ThefestivitiesofNowruzreflecttherenewaloftheEarththatoccurswiththecomingofspring.Activitiesthat

celebratethearrivalofNowruzsharemanysimilaritieswithotherspringfestivalssuchasEaster,celebratedby

Christians,andtheEgyptianholidaycalledSham Al-Naseem,whichdatesbacktothetimeofthePharaohs.

Historical BeginningsNowruzisafestivalthathasbeencelebratedforthousandsofyears.Itisasecularholidaythatisenjoyedbypeople

ofseveraldifferentfaithsandassuchcantakeonadditionalinterpretationsthroughthelensofreligion.Nowruzis

partlyrootedinthereligioustraditionofZoroastrianism(bolded wordsaredefinedonpg.7).Amongotherideas,

Zoroastrianismemphasizesbroadconceptssuchasthecorrespondingworkofgoodandevilintheworld,andthe

connectionofhumanstonature.ZoroastrianpracticesweredominantformuchofthehistoryofancientPersia

(centeredinwhatisnowIran).TodaythereareafewZoroastriancommunitiesthroughouttheworld,andthelargest

areinsouthernIranandIndia.

Persian Cultural RootsPeopleallovertheworldcelebrateNowruz,butitoriginatedinthegeographicalareacalledPersiaintheMiddle

EastandCentralAsia.Thedistinctculturebasedonthelanguage,food,musicandleisureactivitiesthatdeveloped

amongthemanypeopleandethnicgroupswholivedinthisareaisknownasPersian.Nowruzbecameapopular

celebrationamongthecommunitiesthatgrewfromthesePersianinfluencedculturalareas.Whilethephysical

regioncalledPersianolongerexists,thetraditionsofNowruzarestrongamongpeopleinAfghanistan,Iran,Iraq,

Tajikistan,Uzbekistan,Azerbaijan,India,Pakistan,Turkey,CanadaandtheUnitedStates.

Nowruzisaholidaythatiscelebratedbypeoplefromdiverseethniccommunitiesandreligiousbackgrounds.

FortheParsicommunity,however,NowruzisveryspecialandisknownastheirspiritualNewYear.

introduction, historical and cultural roots

4is it persia, or iran?

map from the Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection, University of Texas, Austin.

is it persia, or iran?

Often the words “Persia” and “Iran” are used interchangeably, but they mean different things. The word Persia

comes from the Greek word Pars, which was used to describe the lands that stretched from the Indus Valley in

present day India and Pakistan to the Nile River in today’s Egypt. The Ancient Greeks called the people who lived

in these areas ”Persians”. The word ”Iran” comes from Aryan, which was an ethnic label given to ancient peoples

who migrated from the Indus Valley area towards Central Asia. In 1935, the state of Persia officially changed its

name to Iran. Therefore, Iran is used to describe the contemporary country and its people, while Persia refers to a

broader culture, many ethnic groups and an ancient history that some say goes back 3000 years. Persian is also

the name for the language spoken by Iranians.

5rituals and traditions

Rituals and TraditionsNowruzisatimeforfamilyandfriendstogatherandcelebratetheendofoneyearandthebeginningofthenext.

Childrenhaveafourteen-dayvacationfromschool,andmostadultsdonotworkduringtheNowruzfestivities.

Throughouttheholidayperiodfriendsandfamilygatherateachother’shousesformealsandconversation.

PreparingforNowruzstartsafewweekspriortotheNewYearwithatraditionalspringcleaningofthehome.At

thistimeitisalsocustomarytopurchasenewclothingforthefamilyandnewfurnitureforthehome.

Chahar Shanbe Suri: The Fire Jumping Traditions

OnthenightofthelastWednesdayoftheoldyearChahar Shanbe Suri,inPersian,iscelebrated.Duringthenightof

Chahar Shanbe Suripeopletraditionallygatherandlightsmallbonfiresinthestreetsandjumpovertheflames

shouting:“Zardie man az to, sorkhie to az man”inPersian,whichmeans,“Maymysicklypallorbeyoursandyourred

glowbemine.”Withthisphrase,theflamessymbolicallytakeawayalloftheunpleasantthingsthathappened

inthepastyear.Becausejumpingoverafireisdangerous,manypeopletodaysimplylightthebonfireandshout

thespecialphrasewithoutgettingtooclosetotheflames.

Tahvil: The Exact Moment of the New Year

FamiliesreturnhomeaftertheeventsofChahar Shanbe Suriandwaittogetherfortheexactmomentwhenthevernal

equinoxoccurs,inPersiancalledTahvil.TodaypeopleknowthemomentofTahvilthroughsearchingontheInternet

orlookinginthenewspaper.However,beforethesesourcesofinformationwereavailable,familiesknewthatthe

NewYearwasclosewhenaspecialpersoncalledHaji Firoozcametotheneighborhoodtosing,danceandspread

thenewsofNowruz.Haji Firoozisusuallydressedinaredsatinoutfitwithhis/herfacepaintedasadisguise.

photograph by Ali Reza Najafian

6rituals and traditions

WhentheNewYearisjustminutesawayfamiliesandfriendsgathertogetherandwaitforTahviltooccur.Rightafter

themomentofNowruz,thefamilyexchangeswellwishessuchas“HappyNewYear”or“Sal-e No Mobarak!”in

Persian.Next,theeldestinthefamilydistributesspecialsweetsandcandiestoeveryone,andyoungchildrenare

givencoinsaspresents.Itisalsotraditionalforfamiliesandneighborstovisiteachotherandexchangespecialgifts.

Haft-Seen Table: The Table of Seven S’s

ThemostimportantactivityinthecelebrationofNowruzismakingthehaft-seentable.HaftisthePersianwordforthe

numbersevenandseenisthePersianwordfortheletterS.Literally,thehaft-seentablemeansa“tableofseventhings

thatstartwiththeletterS’.Creatingthehaft-seentableisafamilyactivitythatbeginsbyspreadingaspecialfamily

clothonthetable.NextthetableissetwiththesevenSitems.Herearesomeoftheitemsandwhattheysymbolize:

Sumac(crushedspiceofberries):Forthesunriseandthespiceoflife

Senjed(sweetdryfruitofthelotustree):Forloveandaffection

Serkeh(vinegar):Forpatienceandage

Seeb(apples):Forhealthandbeauty

Sir(garlic):Forgoodhealth

Samanu(wheatpudding):Forfertilityandthesweetnessoflife

Sabzeh(sproutedwheatgrass):Forrebirthandrenewalofnature

InadditiontotheseSitems,thereareothersymbolicitemsthatgoonthehaft-seentable,dependingonthetradition

ofeachfamily.Itiscustomarytoplaceamirroronthetabletosymbolizereflectiononthepastyear,anorangeina

bowlofwatertosymbolizetheEarth,abowlofrealgoldfishtosymbolizenewlife,coloredeggstorepresentfertility,

coinsforprosperityintheNewYear,specialflowerscalledhyacinthstosymbolizespringandcandlestoradiatelight

andhappiness.Eachfamilyplacesotheritemsonthetablethatarespecial,forexampletheQur’an,theholybookof

Islam,ortheShahnameh,anepicPersianstoryofcolorfulkingsandprinceswrittenaroundtheyear1000CE.

drawing by Susan Barney

illustration of a typical haft-seen table

7special foods of nowruz

Special Foods of NowruzJustlikeotherculturalcelebrations,manyspecialfoodsarepreparedduringNowruz,dependingonthecountryof

origin.Oneofthesedishes,ash-e restehornoodlesoup,istypicallyservedonthefirstdayofNowruz.Thissoupis

specialbecausetheknotsofnoodlessymbolizethemanypossibilitiesinone’slife,anditisthoughtthatuntangling

thenoodleswillbringgoodfortune.AnotherNowruzdishiscalledsabzi pollo mahi(fishservedwithaspecialrice

mixedwithgreenherbs).Thericeismadewithmanygreenherbsandspices,whichrepresentthegreennessof

natureatspring.SpecialsweetsarealsoservedduringNowruz.Traditionalitemsincludenaan berengi(cookies

madefromriceflour);baqlava(flakypastrysweetenedwithrosewater);samanu(sproutedwheatpudding);and

noghl(sugar-coatedalmonds).

nowruz memories By Saviz Safizadeh, Milton Public Schools

In my family, we prepared for the Nowruz celebration months before it arrived. I knew how important Nowruz was

because my hard working mother (in Persian, we call our mom, maman) did even more work around the house in

order to prepare it for Nowruz. One of the first things she did was to go through each room to see what needed

fixing or cleaning.

We knew Nowruz was very close when maman began germinating wheat or lentil seeds for our haft-seen table.

Usually she would soak the seeds in water for three days. Sarang, my brother, and I were in charge of making sure

the seeds had everything they needed to grow. With the passing of each day, we would watch the seeds grow

greener under our excited eyes.

My favorite activity for Nowruz was Chahar-Shanbe Suri, which we celebrate on the night of the last Wednesday

of the old year. Soon after nightfall, we would set small fires in our driveway using bundles of sticks and jump over

them while singing in Persian “Zardie man az to, sorkhie to az man.” This means, “May my sickly pallor be yours

and your red glow be mine.”

Every now and then, a friend or a neighbor would stop by in disguise. Armed with a pot and a spoon, they would

announce their presence by vigorously hitting the pot. This is called Qashoq Zani, which is Persian for “pot

hitting.” We would all rush to the gate and try to guess who it was. After the special New Year’s Eve sabzi pollo

mahi dinner, Sarang and I had permission to stay-up for the start of Nowruz. A few minutes before Tahvil, we all

gathered around the haft-seen table. Soon we heard a clock ticking on the television and together we started the

countdown, shouting…3, 2, and 1! Spring had just begun!

Anotherimportantitemtoplaceonthehaft-seentableisabookofpoetrybythefamouspoetShams ud-Din Hafez.

HafezlivedinPersianlandsduringthe14thCenturyCEandwrotemanyvolumesofpoetryandprosenarratives.

ManyPersiansconsiderHafeztobetheirnationalpoet,andhishistoricalstatusissimilartotheimportanceof

ShakespeareintheEnglish-speakingworld.

8the final day of nowruz

The Final Day of Nowruz: Sizdeh BedarThe haft-seentableremainsinthefamilyhomeforthirteendaysafterthebeginningofNowruz.Thethirteenthday

iscalledSizdeh Bedar,whichliterallymeansinPersian“gettingridofthethirteenth.”Thecelebrationsthattakeplace

onSizdeh BedararejustasfestiveasthoseonthefirstdayofNowruz.Onthisday,familiespackaspecialpicnic

andgototheparktoenjoyfood,singinganddancingwithotherfamilies.Itiscustomarytobringnewsprouts,or

sabzeh,grownespeciallyforthisoccasion.Atthepark,thegreenbladesofthesabzeharethrownonthegroundor

inanearbyriverorlaketosymbolizethereturnoftheplanttonature.Sizdeh BedarmarkstheendoftheNowruz

celebrations,andthenextdaychildrenreturntoschoolandadultsreturntotheirjobs.

photograph by Anthony Shenoda

9activity 1

Activities for the Classroom

Activity �: Create a Nowruz Greeting Card

Appropriate Grade Level:4–7

Subject Area(s):SocialStudies,Art

Student Goals/Focus:StudentswillincorporatetheirknowledgeaboutNowruzintothecreationofarelevant

greetingcardfortheholiday.

Materials:Whitepaper,constructionpaper,markers,coloredpencils,pens,scissors,glue,photosofNowruz

celebrations,ifavailable.

Activity Procedure:Instructstudentstochooseoneormanycultures/countriesthatcelebrateNowruz.Using

students’knowledgeabouttheholidayandtheirchosencultures/countriesencouragethemtocreatea

greetingcardthattheywouldsendtofamilyandfriends.Studentsmaywanttoincludesymbolsofthe

Nowruzholiday,including:

Sumac(crushedspiceofberries):Forthesunriseandthespiceoflife

Senjed(sweetdryfruitofthelotustree):Forloveandaffection

Serkeh(vinegar):Forpatienceandage

Seeb(apples):Forhealthandbeauty

Sir(garlic):Forgoodhealth

Samanu(wheatpudding):Forfertilityandthesweetnessoflife

Sabzeh(sproutedwheatgrass):Forrebirthandrenewalofnature

For Discussion:Afterstudentshavecompletedtheirgreetingcards,encouragethemtosharetheircardswiththe

class.Questionsthatwouldencourageadialogueinclude:

•Whydidstudentsincludecertainsymbolsontheircards?

•DidstudentsfindtheirNowruzgreetingcardssimilar/differenttogreetingcardsfortraditionalAmerican

holidays,likeNewYear’s?

•CanstudentsthinkofholidaysthatAmericanscelebrateindeferencetoculturaltradition,ratherthan

religion?Doanyothercountriescelebratetheseholidays?

•IfyouwereapersonwhoobservedtheholidayofNowruz,whatwouldbeyourfavoriteaspectof

theholiday?

�0activity 2

©iStockphoto.com/Creativeye99

Activity 2: Grow Your Own Sabzeh

Appropriate Grade Level:K–8

Subject Area(s):SocialStudies,Science(Biology)

Student Goals/Focus:ToreflectonthesignificanceofNowruztraditions,studentswillgrowtheirownsabzeh

onetotwoweeksbeforetheholiday.

Materials:Largedeepplate(onefortheclassorperstudent),water,lentils,directsunlight.

Activity Procedure:Sabzeh,meaning“springsprouts,”symbolizesrebirthandrenewal.Itiscustomaryfor

familiestogerminatetheirownwheat,barleyorlentilsoneortwoweeksbeforeNowruzsothattheywillsprout

beforetheholiday.

Studentsmaygrowtheirownsabzehasaclassorindividually.Togrow sabzeh,instructstudentstofillalargeand

somewhatdeepplatewithwaterandlentils.Leavetheplateunderdirectsunlightforafewweeksuntilthelentils

sproutandformtall,greensabzeh.The sabzehwillgrowquicklyandcanbeusedagainonthethirteenthdayofthe

NewYear(Sizdeh Bedar).Onthisday,studentscanthrowtheirsabzehintorunningwatertosymbolizetheremoval

ofbadluckfromtheNewYear.

For Discussion:Toencouragediscussion,considerthesequestions:

•Whydostudentsthinkthatsabzehisasymbolforrebirthandrenewal?

•Whydostudentsthinkthatthistraditionhaslastedforsomanyyears?

•Arethereanysymbolsintheirownculturesthatremindthemofthetraditionofgrowingsabzeh?

��activity 3

Activity 3: Create a Personal Haft-Seen Table

Appropriate Grade Level:6–12

Subject Area(s):SocialStudies,Art,Literature

Student Goals/Focus:Studentswillcreatepersonalhaft-seentablesthatincludeobjects/picturesof

significancetothem.

Materials:Tablesorfloorspacesetasideforeachstudent(alargedeskorfloorspaceoftwofeetbythreefeet);

fabricforthetablecloth;students’personalobjects;man-madeobjectsordrawingsthatrepresentrebirthand

renewal,loveandaffection,healthandbeauty,sweetness,ageandpatience,spiceoflifeandgoodhealth.

Activity Procedure:AnimportantelementofNowruzisthecreationofthe haft-seen(orsevenS’s)table.After

layingatableclothonatable,familiesplacesevenitemsbeginningwiththeletterS(“seen”inPersian)ontopof

thefabric.Theseitemsinclude:

Sumac(crushedspiceofberries):Forthesunriseandthespiceoflife

Senjed(sweetdryfruitofthelotustree):Forloveandaffection

Serkeh(vinegar):Forpatienceandage

Seeb(apples):Forhealthandbeauty

Sir(garlic):Forgoodhealth

Samanu(wheatpudding):Forfertilityandthesweetnessoflife

Sabzeh(sproutedwheatgrass):Forrebirthandrenewalofnature

Otheritemsonthehaft-seentablemightinclude:

Candles(enlightenment and happiness)

Mirror(reflections of creation in spring)

Paintedeggs(fertility)

Abowlwithgoldfish(life)

Anorangeinabowlofwater(the earth floating in space)

Rosewater(cleansing)

Studentswillcreatetheirownhaft-seentableusingtheideasoftheNowruzhaft-seentableastheirguide.Reflecting

ontheseventhemesrepresentedbyobjectsonthetraditionalhaft-seentable,instructstudentstothinkofseven

itemsmeaningfultothemthatrepresentthesesamethemes.Anextrachallengewouldbetochoosesevenitems

allbeginningwithSoratleastthesameletter.

Additional Activity:Asstudentsbegintothinkabouttheirhaft-seentabletheycanincorporatepartsofthetable

oritsthemesintoanoriginalpoem,shortstory,essayorscenefromaplay.Studentsshouldbeencouragedtoread

theirpiecestoeachotherinsmallgroupsorinfrontoftheclass.

For Discussion:Foryoungerstudents,engagetheclassinadiscussionofhowthehaft-seentabledisplays

objectswithcertainideas.Askthemwhytheychosecertainobjectsandwhichthemestheythoughtwere

easiest/hardesttoconvey.Inthinkingaboutliterature,arethesesamethemesrepresentedinanythingthe

classhasreadduringtheyear?

�2activity 3

Forolderstudents,splittheclassintosmallgroups.Instructeachgrouptolookateachother’shaft-seentables

andnoteanysimilarordifferentobjects.Oncestudentshavecompiledalist,askthemifthereisanythingthey

wouldchangeabouttheirownhaft-seentable,remindingthemthattheycanstillonlydisplaysevenitems.

drawing by Susan Barney

�3activity 4

Activity 4: Color Eggs

Appropriate Grade Level:K–5

Subject Area(s):SocialStudies,Art

Student Goals/Focus:Studentswillcolor/painteggs,acommonactivityforchildrenwhocelebrateNowruz.

Materials:Ahardboiledeggforeachstudentintheclass,coloreddye,paintbrushes,plasticcupsforseparating

colorsandforwater,papertowels.

Activity Procedure:Usingthecoloreddyeincludedinthekit,encouragestudentstopainttheirowneggsforthe

Nowruzholiday.TeacherscandiscussthecommonalitythatpaintingeggshastootherholidayssuchasEaster.

photograph by Ali Reza Najafian

�4activity 5

Activity 5: Creative Writing Project

Appropriate Grade Level:9–12

Subject Area(s):SocialStudies,English,CreativeWriting

Student Goals/Focus:StudentswillreflectonthethemesofNowruztocreateanoriginalwrittenpiecethat

expressestothemthesignificanceofaNowruzobject,traditionortheme.

Materials:Paperpensoraccesstoawordprocessingprogram.

Activity Procedure:AsstudentsbegintothinkaboutthegreaterthemesofNowruz(renewal,forgiveness,

happiness,love,patience,etc.),theymaychooseeitheraspecificobjectorabroaderthemethatsurfaces

duringtheholiday.Studentsthenincorporatethechosenobjectorthemeintoanoriginalpoem,shortstory,

essayorscenefromaplay.Ifstudentswouldliketoinventtheirownobjectorthemethattheyimaginecould

berelevanttotheNowruzholiday,theycanalsoexploreitintheirwriting.Studentsshouldbeencouragedto

readtheirpiecestoeachotherinsmallgroupsorinfrontoftheclass.Anexampleofacreativewritingproject

maybetoaskstudentstoinventfolkorfairytalesusingthethemesofNowruz.

calligraphy by Caitlyn Cook

�5definitions

DefinitionsGermination:Theprocesswherebyseedsorsporessproutandbegintogrow.

Parsi:AmemberofacontemporaryZoroastrianreligiousgroup.ParsislivemainlyinsouthernIran,Indiaand

Pakistan,andtherearecommunitiesinCanadaandtheUnitedStates.

Shahnameh:WrittenbythePersianpoetFerdowsiaroundtheyear1000CE.Literallythe“BookofKings”,itisa

longnarrativethattellsthestoryofthehistoryofPersiafromitsearliestbeginningstotheseventhcenturyCE.

Shams ud-Din Hafez:Popularandwidelyreveredpoetwholivedfrom1320to1390CE.Hisbookofpoetry,called

theDivan of Hafez,isanimportantpartofmanyNowruzactivities.

Qur’an:ThesacredbookofIslam,believedtobeacompilationofthewordsofGodasrevealedtotheProphet

Muhammad.

Vernal Equinox:Thetimewhenthesuncrossestheplaneoftheearth’sequator,makingnightanddayof

approximatelyequallengthallovertheearthandoccurringabout21March(vernalequinoxorspringequinox)

and22September(autumnalequinox)eachyear.

Zoroastrianism:ThereligioussystemfoundedbyZoroaster,believedtobeaprophetlivinginPersianlandsinthe

sixthcenturyBCE.Itisrecordedinthe Avesta,orancientscriptures,whichteachtheworshipofadeitycalledAhura

Mazda.Oneofthemainprinciplesofthereligionistheuniversalstrugglebetweentheforcesoflightanddarkness,

orgoodandevil.

�6bibliography

Curriculum Text BibliographyFood of Life: A Book of Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies.NajmiehBatmanglij.

Washington,DC:MagePublishers,1990.

Wonders of Persia.NazliIraniMonahan.California:AarrowPublications,2001.

Annotated Bibliography and Other Resources

Books

Celebrating Nowruz: Persian New Year.YassamanJalaliandMarjanZamanian.SamanPublishing,2003.

Simpleandcolorful,thisbookintroducesthePersianNewYeartoyoungchildren.Itincludesthreesimple

craftsandeasywaystocelebrateNowruzathomeandschool.

Happy Nowruz: Cooking with Children to Celebrate the Persian New Year.NajmiehBatmanglij.

MagePublishers,2008.

FromtheleadingauthorityonPersiancooking,thisbookincludesdetaileddescriptionsofNowruzceremonies

aswellastwenty-fiverecipesforcookingNowruzdisheswithchildren.

Nowruz and other Festivities in Iran.FarshidEghbalandSandraMooney.EqbalPrintingandPublishing,1996.

Aninformativeaccountoftheancient(Zoroastrian)originsoftheNowruzcelebration.Thisbookisusefulfor

teachingaboutIranianandCentralAsiancultures.

Paradise Never Lost: Stories of Longing, Passion and Fusion.MoryGhomshei.SimorghEnterprisesInc.,

1998.ThisstoryisforyoungadultsandprovidesinsightintoIranianhistoryandculture,andparticularly,

Nowruzcelebrations.

Films

Babak and Friends: A First Norooz(2005).DustinEllisandRoddMiller.

AtouchingstoryaboutanIranian-AmericanboywhofeelsleftoutofbothIranianandAmericancommunities,

buteventuallybeginstofeelprideforhisIranianheritagebylearningaboutNowruz.Thisbook/moviecombination

isappropriateforelementaryschoolstudents.

�7bibliography

Children of Heaven(1999).

AnOscarnominatedfilmaboutayearinthestrugglesofaworkingclassbrotherandsisterinTehranwhose

storyoverlapswiththeNowruzcelebration.Thismovieisparticularlyusefulforintroducingstudentstothe

socio-economicdiversityofTehran.

The White Balloon(1995).

Inthisacclaimedfilmaboutalittlegirl’sNowruzcelebration,IraniansocietyanditspreparationsfortheNewYear

areintimatelyportrayed.

Websites for Learning about Persian Culture and Nowruz

*CMES is not responsible for the content of this website

http://iranchamber.com

FromtheIranChamberSociety,thiswebsiteprovidesinformation,scholarlyessaysandphotographicimagesonthe

history,artandcultureofPersiaandIran.

The Outreach Center

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