Follow you can reed the opinion of an American girl who spent Norooz with an Iranian family! I publish her sentences without any changes!

Salam and eid mobarak! Nowrooz khoosh begzare! Greetings this new year; my name is Aya, and I am the guest of the very sweet Eftekhar, who has kindly opened her home and family celebration to me this new year and new year�s eve. She and her family have shared with me their nowrooz preparations and festivities, including the decorating of eggs, the haft seen, and the New Year prayers. The celebration has included wonderful family meals of fish from the Persian Gulf, traditionally eaten the night before nowrooz, gorme sabzi, meat and vegetables- all delicious! On the morning of the New Year, we decorated eggs for each member of the family, using symbols of wishes for the New Year. We decorated the eggs with the sun and moon god, fire and water, and the elements, making wishes for things to come in the New Year; I enjoyed this process, considering hopes for the future and what this year may bring! Also, preparation of the Sofreh, as Eftekhar has previously described, was a careful construction process of symbolic �seen� items. My favorite part is the bowl for the two red goldfish and the red spinning apple!

The concentration and mindfulness of the process were striking to me; I enjoyed the thoughtfulness behind it and the consideration of rizq (that which is provided by God) in the past year and the next. After the haft seen was put together, the last minutes of New Year are for reading of the Quran al-Karim. Just before the first minute of the New Year one closes the Holy Quran, and opens it at the precise moment of the New Year, hoping to receive wisdom for the future year.

Through the day, many family members came to visit, and we enjoyed many cups of tea, fruit and sweets - and much music! It was a joy to have a dance party here with Eftekhar, who loves music, and her sister-in-laws.

As many of my new year�s celebrations in America or Europe have been of a drastically different nature, I truly appreciated the mindfulness of this ceremony and this observance of the new cycle of life for this year. The entire celebration reminded me of many blessings to be appreciated from the old year, and hopes, aspirations, and prayers for the new one. I feel fortunate to share this time with a family of such good heart and true spirit, and truly appreciate the welcome and openness they have shown me in their home. If these past two days bring harbingers of the year to come, insha�allah this year will be filled with kindness, generosity and dancing! Khoda hafez*(Bye)