Today, March 20th, marks the beginning of Nowruz, the Persian new year. It also marks the Spring equinox, meaning we in the Northern Hemisphere are officially in Spring. Nowruz and the Spring equinox are two things I’ve never really been aware of, and I’ve been missing out.

This year, I celebrated Nowruz with Amin and some of our close friends. Amin and I bought new clothes and cleaned our own homes (in my case, my bedroom) in preparation to receive the new year. We set up the Haft-Seen table at his place with seven things that begin with the ‘s’ sound in Persian.

Amin sent me the following list explaining each of the seven items we used this year for our Haft-Seen table:

• Sabze (wheat): rebirth

• Sir (garlic): medicine and health

• Sib (apple): health and beauty

• Sekke (coin): wealth

• Serke (vinegar): old age and patience

• Samanu (sweet paste made from germinated wheat): power and strength

• Senjed (oleaster olive): love

I found that serke had such a beautiful meaning. Patience is something I have been learning these last few weeks/months, and it was comforting to see it outlined on our table.

As much as I have grown up celebrating the calendar new year, it never really felt significant to me. One day just rolls into the other, no true change has come, especially since we are in the middle of winter.

But Nowruz—Nowruz is different. You clean for the new year. You go visit your family members to celebrate. But most importantly, you literally start the spring season, leaving the winter behind. The blooming flowers are proof of it.

And so, as this new year begins, I want to embrace what it has to offer. It gives me a chance to reset my intentions, to really think about what I want to be doing as the days go by and seasons pass. I already know what I want for my bigger picture for this year, and I am challenging myself to show up every day for my day-to-day goals. It won’t be fun most of the time, but I am comforted knowing I have Nowruz and the Spring Equinox at my back.

To all those celebrating Nowruz: Sal-e no mobaarak!

Our Haft-Seen table.