Sad Saal be in Saal-ha*

O.K., so as I mentioned in my previous post, I participated in a rather unique (for me, at least) celebration the other day: my friend Susan B. is half-Persian, so we celebrated the Persian New Year, or Nowruz, during a get-together of friends. What fun! Great food, learned some things about a different culture...and of course everyone was 'loose and easy' cause not only did we share wine, we all were doing vodka shots. Huh? WTF with vodka? Well, turns out, Iran borders Russia, so over the (many) centuries, vodka shots have become an important part of the Nowruz festivities. Who'd a thought.

Anyway, you can read online all about the Persian New Year, which is quite fascinating. It's always celebrated on the Vernal (spring) Equinox, on or around March 20, and Nowruz -- of which there are about 150 different spelling variations -- loosely translated means "New Day." It's the biggest and most important Persian holiday, signifying, as in my other cultures with the advent of spring and the new year, a new beginning, or rebirth.

So good food prepared by Susan B and Susan N, including apples stuffed with lamb and rice, white rice with saffron, and a wonderful Persian dish with parsley and all kinds of goodies, gorma sahbzi. And fun times with great friends. Wonderful, wonderful.

And perhaps the best part? No hangovers the next morning from the vodka. What gives? No WONDER the Russians can pound the stuff. Anyway, Happy (belated) Nowruz, and mark your calendars for next year's big day: the big event happens March 20, 2009.

*Wishing you 100 more Happy New Years