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Preparing for Norouz

Posted by Behrooz Sangani (Tehran, Iran) on 9 March 2007 in Plants & Nature.

This is the so called Sabzeh (wheat, barley or lentil,... sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth), one of the main seven "S"s of Haftsin.
The practice of preparing New Year sprouts is an ancient one. Growing sprouts in homes for the Norouz has its peculiar process and is the responsibility of housewives. At least ten days before Norouz a housewife takes a handful of seeds, the quantity depending on the number of family members, and makes a wish for health, happiness and prosperity as she places them in a clay pot full of water until they germinate and turn white.
She then spreads them apart in a piece of cloth until they sprout. When the sprouts appear, she transfers them to a copper plate and covers them with a piece of cloth sprayed with water.
When the green plants reach a certain height the housewife ties them with a red ribbon.
Read this wikipedia article if you want to know about Norouz and its traditions.

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Canon PowerShot A540
1/30 second
F/5.6
6 mm

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