Nowruz

 🌸 Celebrating Nowruz: The Persian New Year! 🌸

Nowruz means "New Day" and is the Persian New Year, celebrated on the first day of spring. It marks a time of new beginnings, family gatherings, and hope for the year ahead!

🌿 How is Nowruz Celebrated?

Nowruz is a 13-day celebration filled with special traditions:

🌼 Spring Cleaning (Khaneh Tekani): Families clean their homes to welcome fresh energy for the new year.
🍎 The Haft-Seen Table: A beautiful table is set with seven special items that start with the letter "S" in Persian, like Sabzeh (sprouted wheat for growth) and Seer (garlic for health).
🔥 Jumping Over Fire (Chaharshanbe Suri): Before Nowruz, people jump over small fires, saying, “Give me your warmth, take away my worries!”
💰 Eidi (New Year Gifts): Elders give money or small gifts to children as a symbol of good fortune.
🎊 Family & Feasts: Loved ones gather to enjoy delicious food like Sabzi Polo (herbed rice) and fish!

🌞 Why is Nowruz Special?

Nowruz is all about fresh starts, kindness, and joy. It reminds us to welcome the new season with hope, love, and positivity!

Nowruz in the Classroom

Our classroom is a mixing pot of different cultures and we have several friends who celebrate Nowruz. This art activity was recreating the Sabzeh.

Sabzeh is a traditional symbol of renewal and rebirth in Persian culture, often seen during Nowruz, the Persian New Year. It consists of sprouted wheat, barley, or lentils placed in a dish, representing growth, fertility, and the start of a new year. Sabzeh is a key element of the Haft-Seen table, a special arrangement of symbolic items, and is later discarded in a ceremonial act of letting go of past burdens and welcoming fresh beginnings. 

Sabzeh Art

Items Needed

Green paint

Toilet paper roll/paint brush - for painting

Flower pot template

Markers - to decorate pot

In our classroom students are comfortable sharing their culture and family traditions or celebrations. This student brought a sabzeh from home and did an excellent job sharing this with the class. It was our main inspiration for the sabzeh art. 

Nowruz Activity -

🔥 Chaharshanbe Suri: The Festival of Fire 🔥

Chaharshanbe Suri is an exciting Persian festival celebrated on the last Wednesday night before Nowruz (Persian New Year). The name means “Red Wednesday” and it is known as the Festival of Fire.

🌟 What Happens During Chaharshanbe Suri?

Families and friends gather outdoors to jump over small bonfires while chanting:
"Zardi-ye man az toh, sorkhi-ye toh az man!"
("Take my sickness, give me your warmth and energy!")

This tradition symbolizes letting go of past troubles and welcoming health, happiness, and good fortune for the new year.

During circle time, we gathered a small pile of sticks and students took turns jumping over the pile. This was a great activity to talk about fire safety. 

Happy Nowruz and Happy First Day of Spring!!!

You can download the free sabzeh art resource on my TPT Store

St. Patrick's Day

☘️ What is St. Patrick’s Day?

St. Patrick’s Day is a special day that celebrates St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. He helped bring Christianity to Ireland a long time ago. Today, people all over the world celebrate Irish culture on this day!

🌟 Why Do People Wear Green?

Wearing green is a big tradition on St. Patrick’s Day! Some people say it’s because:
✅ Ireland is called the “Emerald Isle” because it’s so green.
✅ Green is the color of shamrocks, a symbol of luck.
✅ Leprechauns (silly little fairies) can’t see green, so they won’t pinch you if you wear it.!

🍀 What is a Shamrock?

A shamrock is a small, green plant with three leaves. St. Patrick used it to teach people about kindness and friendship. Now, it’s a symbol of good luck!

🧚 Who Are Leprechauns?

Leprechauns are tiny, mischievous fairies from Irish stories. They love gold and hide it at the end of a rainbow! If you ever see one, be quick—because they run super fast! 🏃💨

🎉 How Do People Celebrate?

On St. Patrick’s Day, people have fun by:
🎈 Wearing green clothes and shamrocks.
🎵 Listening to Irish music and dancing.
🌈 Looking for rainbows and leprechauns!
🥔 Eating yummy Irish food like potatoes and soda bread.

🍀 Fun Classroom Activities!

Here’s how we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in our classroom:

🌿 Shamrock Art & Crafts

We made beautiful shamrocks using green paper as part of our writing. We talked about what makes us feel lucky. Did you know that the shamrock is a symbol of good luck and Irish tradition?

🎶 Irish Music & Dancing

We listened to Irish music and even tried some Irish dancing! It was so fun moving to the lively beats. We also practiced doing the Irish Dance. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!