How millions set a festive table to celebrate the Persian New Year

Every year, during  the vernal equinox, millions of people across the world welcome spring with the holiday Nowruz, marking the Persian New Year. It’s one of the oldest holidays in the world.

One of the many traditions in the 13-day celebration is the setting of the haftseen table. The table has at least seven items that start with the letter ‘seen’ (making the ‘s’ sound), all symbolic of a new year. Painted eggs represent fertility; sprouted lentils represent rebirth. Watch the video above to see how one Iranian American sets her haftseen table, and what each symbol means.