Haft-Sin: The 7 Items of the Nowruz Table, Their Meanings and Persian Names

Haft-sin (هفت‌سین, “seven S’s”) is the table Iranians set for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. It holds seven things whose Persian names start with the letter س (sin): sprouts (sabze), sweet wheat pudding (samanu), oleaster fruit (senjed), garlic (sir), apple (sib), sumac (somâgh) and vinegar (serke), plus a mirror, candles, painted eggs and often a goldfish.

Below you will find each item with its Persian name, pronunciation and what it stands for, the extra items that usually join them, when the table goes up and comes down, how to set one yourself, and the words and greetings you will hear around it. Practice blocks follow the sections they practice, and there is a short quiz near the end.

What “haft-sin” means

هفت (haft) Listen is the Persian number seven, and سین (sin) is the name of the letter س, which sounds like English “s”. So هفت‌سین (haft-sin) Listen simply means “seven sin,” that is, seven things beginning with the letter s. The full name of the spread is سفره‌ی هفت‌سین (sofre-ye haft-sin), where سفره (sofre) is a cloth spread for a meal or a ceremony.

In English you will see it spelled haft-sin, haft sin, haft-seen and haft seen. They are all the same word. The “ee” spellings try to show that the vowel in sin is long, like the “ee” in “seen,” not short like the English word “sin.” In Persian it is written as one word with a zero-width non-joiner between the two parts, so the ت of haft does not join the س.

One spelling trap is worth knowing. Persian has three letters that sound like “s”: س, ص and ث. Only words with س count for the haft-sin. That is why soap, صابون (sâbun), does not qualify even though it starts with an “s” sound. If you are still learning the letters, our page on the Persian letter sin (س) shows how it is written at the start, middle and end of a word.

The seven items of the haft-sin and their meanings

These are the seven that most Iranian families use today. The meanings in the last column are the ones people usually give, in books, at school and around the table. They are popular interpretations rather than ancient rules, and you will hear slightly different explanations from family to family.

1. Sabze (سبزه): sprouts

سبزه (sabze) Listen comes from سبز (sabz), “green.” It is a plate of wheat, lentil or mung bean sprouts that the family grows at home in the two weeks before Nowruz, often with a red ribbon tied around it. It is the heart of the table: a small patch of spring indoors. Persian has a neat phrase for growing it, سبزه سبز کردن (sabze sabz kardan), literally “to make the sprouts green.”

2. Samanu (سمنو): sweet wheat pudding

سمنو (samanu) Listen is a thick, brown, sweet paste made from the juice of sprouted wheat, cooked slowly for many hours with flour. Nothing else is added for sweetness; the sugar comes from the sprouted grain itself. Cooking it used to be a social event, with neighbors taking turns stirring the big pot through the night. Today most families buy a small bowl of it. It stands for plenty and for the reward of patient work.

3. Senjed (سنجد): oleaster

سنجد (senjed) Listen is the small, dry, sweet fruit of the oleaster tree (also called Russian olive). It looks like a tiny reddish date with a powdery inside. Its flowers have a strong, sweet scent, which is one reason it is linked with love.

4. Sir (سیر): garlic

سیر (sir) Listen means garlic. It has been a home remedy for a very long time, so on the haft-sin it stands for health and protection from illness. A whole bulb is used. Careful: the same spelling, سیر, also means “full” (not hungry), as in سیر شدم (sir shodam), “I’m full.” Context tells you which one is meant.

5. Sib (سیب): apple

سیب (sib) Listen is an apple, usually a shiny red one. It stands for beauty and good health. You will find it, with many other fruits, in our list of fruits and vegetables in Persian.

6. Somâgh (سماق): sumac

سماق (somâgh) Listen is the dark red, tangy spice that Iranians sprinkle on kebab and rice. On the table it sits in a small bowl. Its color is linked with sunrise, and so with light and a fresh start.

7. Serke (سرکه): vinegar

سرکه (serke) Listen is vinegar, usually in a small glass bowl or bottle. Vinegar is made slowly, by letting something sit and turn, which is why it is read as a sign of age, patience and accepting what time brings.

Other “s” items families use

The list above is not a law. Some families swap one item for another, and many put out more than seven things that start with س. These are the most common extras and substitutes:

Hyacinth deserves a special mention. In late winter, Iranian flower shops and street sellers are full of pots of سنبل (sonbol) Listen, and for many Iranians its smell is the smell of Nowruz itself.

What else goes on the table

Besides the seven s-items, a typical haft-sin has several items that do not start with س at all. They are just as much a part of the picture:

A few notes on these. In everyday speech the mirror is آینه (âyne) Listen; you will also see the fuller spelling آیینه (âyine) in writing and poetry. Painting eggs, تخم‌مرغ رنگ کردن (tokhm-e morgh rang kardan), is the part children love most. The goldfish, ماهی قرمز (mâhi ghermez) Listen, swims in a round glass bowl called a تنگ (tong).

The goldfish has become a topic of debate. Many of these fish die within days of the holiday, so a growing number of Iranians, including environmental groups, ask people to leave them out or to replace them with a picture, a ceramic fish or a bowl of water with flowers. If you do keep one, plan to give it a proper tank afterward, and never release it into a river or pond.

The book on the table depends on the family. Many households keep a دیوان حافظ (divân-e hâfez) and open it after the year changes to see what the new year holds. Our step-by-step guide to Fal-e Hafez explains how that is done.

When the haft-sin is set and when it comes down

Nowruz begins at the spring equinox, around March 20 or 21. The exact moment the old year becomes the new one is called سال تحویل (sâl tahvil) Listen, and it can fall at any hour of the day or night. Iranians often call this moment لحظه‌ی تحویل سال (lahze-ye tahvil-e sâl), and it is announced on radio and TV.

1. The weeks before. Families do خانه‌تکانی (khâne-tekâni) Listen, a big spring cleaning, literally “shaking the house,” and start growing the sabze. On the last Tuesday night of the year comes Chaharshanbe Suri, the festival of fire.
2. A few days before Nowruz. The haft-sin is set, usually in the living room, on a nice cloth. Perishable things like samanu and the goldfish are added last.
3. At the moment of sâl tahvil. The family, dressed in new or best clothes, sits around the table. Many say a short prayer for the turning of the year, which begins یا مقلب القلوب و الابصار (yâ moghallebal-gholub-e val-absâr). When the year changes, everyone hugs and says سال نو مبارک (sâl-e no mobârak), and the elders hand out عیدی (eydi), a gift of money, often crisp new bills kept between the pages of a book on the table.
4. The next twelve days. The table stays up while families visit each other, which is called دید و بازدید (did-o bâzdid).
5. The 13th day. On Sizdah Bedar (13 Farvardin, around April 1 or 2), people spend the day outdoors and take the sabze with them. They throw it into running water, a way of sending away the bad luck of the year. Young unmarried people sometimes tie two blades of the grass together while making a wish. After that, the haft-sin is put away.

To see how these dates sit in the Iranian solar calendar, read our Persian calendar guide.

How to set a haft-sin table, step by step

1. Grow the sabze (10 to 14 days ahead). Soak a cup of lentils or wheat in water for a day or two until they begin to sprout. Spread them on a plate or shallow dish, cover with a damp paper towel or cloth, and keep them moist in a bright spot. Remove the cover once green shoots appear. Tie a red ribbon around it on the last day.
2. Choose the cloth. Any nice tablecloth works. Many people use a white cloth or a hand-printed Isfahani cloth called a قلمکار (ghalamkâr).
3. Put the seven s-items in matching bowls. Garlic and apple can sit as they are; sumac, vinegar, senjed and samanu go in small dishes. Keep the sabze in the center or toward the front, where it is easy to see.
4. Add the mirror and candles at the back. The mirror doubles the candlelight and makes the whole table glow.
5. Finish with the extras. Painted eggs, coins, hyacinth, a book, and a bowl of pastries.
6. Add samanu and any live fish last, a day before or on the day itself, because samanu can spoil and the fish need care.

Where the haft-sin comes from

Nowruz itself is very old, and spreads of symbolic foods and objects at the new year belong to that long tradition. The specific “seven things with s” table, however, is not described by that name in early sources, and nobody can date its beginning with confidence.

You will often read that the table was once a هفت‌شین (haft-shin, seven things with ش) that included wine, شراب (sharâb), and that vinegar replaced the wine in Islamic times. Another popular story speaks of a haft-chin. These are interesting stories, and Iranians enjoy arguing about them, but there is no solid historical evidence for either one. It is safer to treat them as folklore. What is certain is that the haft-sin as families know it today is one of the most loved parts of Nowruz in Iran and among Iranians abroad.

Haft-sin and haft-mewa: Nowruz in Afghanistan

Nowruz is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Kurdish regions and across Central Asia, and each place has its own customs. In Afghanistan the best-known Nowruz dish is هفت‌میوه (haft-mewa, “seven fruits”), a bowl of dried fruits and nuts such as raisins, senjed, pistachios and almonds soaked in water for a few days until a sweet syrup forms. Some Afghan families set a haft-sin too, but haft-mewa is the dish most people think of. If you are curious about the Afghan form of Persian, see our page of Dari greetings and common phrases.

Nowruz greetings to say at the haft-sin

When the year turns and the guests start arriving, these are the phrases you will hear again and again:

Hear them: سال نو مبارک Listen and عید شما مبارک Listen. For many more ways to say it, and how to reply politely, see our full guide to Happy New Year in Persian.

Haft-sin vocabulary list

To read a short Persian text about the holiday using many of these words, try Persian Reading Lesson 8: Nowruz. For the bigger picture of the festival, from fire jumping to the 13th day, read our article on Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Haft-sin in a few Persian sentences

These short sentences use the words from this page. Read them out loud; the spoken forms are what you will hear at a family gathering.

• امسال سفره‌ی هفت‌سین را با هم چیدیم. (emsâl sofre-ye haft-sin râ bâ ham chidim.) This year we set the haft-sin table together. Spoken: امسال سفره‌ی هفت‌سین رو با هم چیدیم. (emsâl sofre-ye haft-sin ro bâ ham chidim.)
• سال تحویل کی است؟ (sâl tahvil key ast?) When does the year change? Spoken: سال تحویل کیه؟ (sâl tahvil keye?)
• بچه‌ها تخم‌مرغ‌ها را رنگ کردند. (bachche-hâ tokhm-e morgh-hâ râ rang kardand.) The children painted the eggs.
• روز سیزده‌به‌در سبزه را به آب می‌اندازیم. (ruz-e sizdah be dar sabze râ be âb miandâzim.) On Sizdah Bedar we throw the sprouts into the water.

If you want to keep building the everyday phrases that go with holidays, visits and greetings, the book 1000 Most Common Farsi Phrases collects them by situation. You can also check your greetings with the Persian greetings quiz.

Common questions

What are the 7 items of haft-sin?

The usual seven are sabze (sprouts), samanu (sweet wheat pudding), senjed (dried oleaster), sir (garlic), sib (apple), somâgh (sumac) and serke (vinegar). All of their Persian names start with the letter س. Some families swap in coins (sekke) or hyacinth (sonbol).

What does haft-sin mean?

Haft means “seven” and sin is the Persian name of the letter س, the “s” sound. So haft-sin means “seven things that start with s.” The full name is sofre-ye haft-sin, “the haft-sin spread.”

When do you set up the haft-sin and when do you take it down?

Most families set it a few days before Nowruz, which falls at the spring equinox around March 20 or 21, and gather around it at the moment the year changes. It stays up for the first 12 days of the year and is put away on or after Sizdah Bedar, the 13th day, when the sprouts are thrown into running water.

Why is there a goldfish on the haft-sin?

The goldfish stands for life and movement. Because many of these fish die soon after the holiday, more and more Iranians now leave live fish out or use a ceramic fish or a picture instead.

Is haft-sin a religious tradition?

No. Nowruz and the haft-sin are national and cultural traditions shared by Iranians of all faiths. Religious families may put a Quran on the table, others put a book of Hafez or the Shahnameh, and many put more than one.

Can non-Iranians set up a haft-sin?

Yes, and Iranian friends are usually delighted to see it. Everything you need is sold at Persian or Middle Eastern groceries in the weeks before Nowruz, and a small tray with seven bowls, a mirror and a candle is a perfectly good haft-sin.

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