We finally have some Spring in Paris with these Anemones (daughter of the wind)…
“The anemone is one of the earliest flowers in spring, appearing in April, and continuing through May. The name, anemone, or wind-flower, some writers claim, was given because it is so fragile that it withers when the wind blows over it; others say that it only blooms when the wind blows it open.”
It’s the first day of spring and the Persian new Year of 1392 starts with Noruz (No: new, Ruz: day):
We are celebrating in Paris with a newly converted Venus,
I have extensively written about the Noruz (or Nowruz, Norooz) before in my blog, so if you’ve been with me in the past 4/5 years, you must know all about the items that go on the Noruz spread.
The famous “haft seen” of 7 S’s:
My fish, Samad (his name has nothing to do with the S’s… ;)), has been with us since two Noruz’s ago and he is happy to play his role this year with the famous Haji Firouz , the politically incorrect Persian messenger of the New Year:
Haji Firouz’s face is covered in soot and he is wearing bright red clothes and hat. People consider it only as a face paint and there is no racial implication.
Do you remember Samad on my previous year’s Noruz card?
One of the S’s is Sekkeh or coin; the last Shah of Iran is overthrown even in my Haft Seen…
It was raining in Paris on the first day of spring:
but I didn’t care because a bunch of hyacinths can bring the spring to your room.
Happy Noruz and,
happy 1392 to all of my Persian friends!
Some links to my previous Nowruz posts worth your time (I promise):
Nowruz 1390 here
Nowruz 1389 here
Nowruz 1388 here
My most visited blog post (and most used images without my permission) Haft seen here
Just decided to add this photo of myself (3 months old) on my mom’s lap having my first Noruz and not terribly impressed…
Yesterday, I was walking home through a quaint neighborhood of Paris, la Butte aux cailles, when I noticed these posters of Hollande on the wall of this little street, rue de l’Esperance (street of hope in French):
I can’t vote in France but I have been following the elections and if you want to know a bit about it, I recommend reading these two short articles from today’s New York Times. The first one’s called: “Victor Hugo on the ballot” by Robert Zaretsky.
The other one is “Voting for Yesterday in France” by Oliver Guez:
Take a few minutes to read them—they are quite interesting…
On a more cheerful note, there is always hope as long as there is spring and lilacs that remind me of my childhood in Iran…
To read one of my favorite posts about lilacs in Paris go here.
Nature can be kind even though it has not been so in the last few days in Japan…I went out to park Montsouris, close to my apartment in Paris to take some pictures from the gentler side of Nature.
Everything was so beautiful I almost forgot the Japanese meltdown (nuclear and else…) for a few minutes; the purple crocus made me nostalgic:
I was born in Khorasan, the world’s most important saffron producing region, and the yellow pistils of this modest bulb flower is what becomes the most expensive spice in the world: zaferan or saffron.
Now back to the park where the most flamboyant were the primaveras (primulas):
I ask the eternal question: is anything more effortlessly beautiful than a flower?
I have to wait for the tulips to come out one of these days:
nature weaves beautiful rugs:
The pink blossoms over a stream were so pretty:
This one was earlier today at Saint Germain:
but right outside my place, the pansies were going crazy:
I took the picture with a big smile on my face—I love pansies—and later today I made this dress out of these gorgeous flowers:
To see my previous posts about the persian New Year and to see some beautiful poetry:
Last year’s Green Nowruz go here
Nowruz 1388 go here
Haft seen, haft sheen and everything in between go here
“Pourquoi les hommes ne savent-ils pas
Que la capucine n’est pas un hasard…” Sepehri
HAPPY NEW YEAR, NOWRUZ PIROUZ!
The Persian new year, called Norouz (or Nowrouz)—New Day—is just around the corner and Southern California nights have the sweetly fragrant scent of jasmine and citrus flowers. Last year’s Norouz blog remains my most read post so please visit it for a detailed account of Haft-seen and some great pictures.
Tulips don’t know much about the financial crisis and narcissi couldn’t care less about job layoffs; they come out with their effortless beauty, reminding us that nature renews its vows with life every spring.
Before 1564, most of Europe celebrated the New Year with the first day of Spring.
The Gregorian calendar changed that to January first. To me, it is only natural to start the year with the first day of spring and not in the dead of winter…
“Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling,
Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturb’d,
Give me to warble spontaneous songs recluse by myself, for my own ears only,
Give me solitude—give me Nature—give me again, O Nature, your primal sanities! Walt Witman
The Norouz celebration lasts 13 days and is rooted in the 3,000-year-old tradition of Zorastrianism. March 21st will be the first day of spring, the first day of the new year. The fragrance of these lemon tree blossoms reminds me of a Norouz I spent in Shiraz years ago…
This poem of Fereydoon Moshiri always makes me smile…
بوی باران، بوی سبزه، بوی خاک
شاخه های شسته، باران خورده، پاک
آسمان آبی و ابر سپید
برگ های سبز بید
عطر نرگس، رقص باد
نغمه شوق پرستوهای شاد
خلوت گرم کبوترهای مست …
نرم نرمک می رسد اینک بهار
خوش به حال روزگار
خوش به حال چشمه ها و دشت ها
خوش به حال دانه ها و سبزه ها
خوش به حال غنچه های نیمه باز
خوش به حال دختر میخک – که می خندد به ناز –
خوش به حال جام لبریز از شراب
خوش به حال آفتاب
Would it be the dawn of 1388 or 2547 like some purist Persians suggest? It’s surreal to see this anachronistic image of the late shah’s crown in the middle of Santa Monica boulevard wishing you a happy new year in Persian!
I just can not resist sharing these beautiful flowers with you:
This is a celebration of Life.
It is time to recalibrate our priorities and do some spring cleaning. Just look at the beautiful baby green of this Hydrangea:
The hyacinths (sonbol) or the quintessential Norouz flower:
I wouldn’t dare translating this beautiful Rumi poem about Norouz:
اندر دل من مها دل افروز توئي
ياران هستند ليك دلسوز توئي
شادند جهانيان به نوروز و به عيد
عيد من و نوروز من امروز توئي
Don’t forget to visit my last year’s Norouz post.
Norouz Pirouz!
