Nowruz doesn't start on a date. It starts at a moment: the instant of the spring equinox, around March 20 or 21. That's when the Persian new year turns, and families gather around a table that has been set for days. For a pattern designer, that table is the brief.
Nowruz, "new day," has ancient roots and is celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, parts of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Kurdish regions, and by diaspora communities. The haft-sin below is the Iranian tradition. Other regions have their own tables, such as the haft mewa, a compote of seven dried fruits, on many Afghan tables.
The seven S items
The haft-sin ("seven S") table holds seven items whose Persian names begin with the letter sin. Meanings vary a little between families, but these are the common ones:
| Item | What it is | Commonly stands for | How to draw it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabzeh | Sprouted wheat, barley or lentils | Rebirth, renewal | Fine green blades in a dish, tied with a ribbon |
| Samanu | Sweet pudding made from wheat germ | Sweetness, abundance | A lidded pot or bowl in deep brown |
| Senjed | Dried fruit of the oleaster tree | Love | Small oval fruits, golden-tan, scattered |
| Sir | Garlic | Health, medicine | Bulbs and cloves in cream and lilac |
| Sib | Apple | Beauty, health | Round red or green apples with a short stem |
| Somaq | Sumac berries | Sunrise | A heap of dark red spice in a small bowl |
| Serkeh | Vinegar | Age, patience | A glass vessel with a narrow neck |
Many tables add a mirror, candles, coins, hyacinths, painted eggs, a bowl with a goldfish and a book of poetry. Those make good supporting motifs.
Palette
Nowruz sits at the turning of winter, so the colors are fresh and glazed.
- Sprout green, #6DAA3B, for sabzeh and new growth.
- Turquoise, #1F9AA3, and lapis blue, #284B8E, borrowed from Persian tile.
- Hyacinth purple, #8A5AAB.
- Saffron, #E3A02F, for warmth and for the gold on festive china.
- Cream, #F6EFDF, as the ground.
The green patterns category is a good base for the sprout tones.
Persian botanical vocabulary
If you'd rather build a floral than an object print, Persian ornament offers a deep vocabulary: roses, tulips, hyacinths, cypress trees and the nightingale, with the boteh, a curved teardrop that traveled west and became paisley. The Persian pattern design guide and the paisley guide cover the history of those shapes.
Keep the flowers seasonal. Hyacinths, tulips and spring blossom say Nowruz more clearly than a generic carpet layout does.
Formats that suit the holiday
- Sofreh (the table cloth). The haft-sin is laid on a cloth, traditionally a handwoven or block-printed fabric. A centered medallion with a calm border and an open middle gives items room to sit.
- Napkins and runners. A ditsy repeat of sprouts, hyacinths and fruit.
- Cards and envelope liners. A small-scale, all-over pattern for greetings.
- Kids' craft sheets. Painted-egg templates and coloring borders.
Respectful practice
- Treat Nowruz as a living family tradition. Ask someone from the community to look at your drawings.
- Have any Persian text checked by a native reader. "Nowruz Mobarak" is a common greeting.
- Don't mix in Arab, Turkish or South Asian ornament and label it all "Persian." Each tradition has its own look.
- Draw the seven correctly. Leaving out the garlic or swapping the apple for another fruit is a clear sign the designer didn't check.
Timing
Nowruz is around March 20 or 21, so aim to list by early February. See the seasonal pattern calendar for where it falls among the other spring occasions. You can also start from Persian patterns in Pattern Weaver, adjust the palette toward turquoise and sprout green, and use Pro, which exports up to 8K, for a sofreh that has to stay sharp at a large print size.
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