This week’s activity

Navroze (Nowruz) (New Day) – Persian New Year

One of the teachers, Zina, wanted to share with the children a special time in the Persian calendar.  20th-21st March marks the celebration of the spring equinox.  It is a joyful, colourful celebration that is at least 3000 years old.  It originated in the ancient Zoroastrian religion (the teacher’s religion) in Central and Western Asia.

Those who celebrate Nazroze will have a good spring clean of their homes and decorate them with flowers, especially hyacinths.  The celebratory setting of the table is called ‘haft sin’.  It involves putting a selection of items on the table, which have some significance to spring.  Below are some of the items, and their significance, that Zina shared at the ‘haft sin’ table she had created for the children.

Hyacinths and flowers = spring arrival

Candle = enlightenment

Eggs (decorated) = fertility

Sumac (spcie) = sunrise

Garlic = health

Vinegar = patience

Apple = beauty

Goldfish = life

Mirror = reflection and light

Wheatgerm pudding = power and strength

Olives = love

The children were interested in hearing about the significance of the items on the table and were keen to smell the garlic, which they described as onion, the candle, the sumac and the vinegar, each having their own scent.

To finish the celebration, the children planted cress seeds to take home.

Thank you to Zina for sharing this special time with the children.

There are photos on our Facebook page

We hope you all have a wonderful Easter break.

Thank you.

The Pre-school Team