Tag Archives: Haft Sin

The ‘Haft Sin’ Or ‘Seven S’s’

1 Reply

The ‘Haft Sîn’ (Persian for the ‘Seven ‘S’s) is a traditional decoration displayed at Naw-Rúz. We usually make one in the Beech household at this time of year which is sacred for Baha’is in addition to being the Iranian New Year. Customarily the Haft Sîn display consists of seven symbolic  items which start with the letter S or ‘Sîn’ in the Persian Alphabet. In practice there are a variety of different items used but the ones we tend to use are

  1. ‘Serkeh’ vinegar – symbolising longevity and fortitude
  2. ‘Sonbol’ a potted hyacinth (traditional  spring flower)
  3. ‘Sekkeh’ coins prosperity
  4. ‘Sabzeh’ lentil shoots growing in a dish – a symbol of spring and rebirth
  5. ‘Senjed’  the dried fruit of the Oleaster or ‘Trebizond Date’ tree – a symbol of fertility and love
  6. ‘Sîr’  garlic – wellbeing
  7. ‘Sîb’  an apple – symbolising health and beauty