One Day Nowruz Workshop

One Day Nowruz Workshop

When eggs get peculiar!

Trainer: Bahar Zokoee

This workshop was designed to introduce traditional ceremony of Nowruz to the children via some unique and inovative activities.

One Day Nowruz Workshop

When eggs get peculiar!

All the various activities of this workshop are based on the traditional ceremonies: “Chāhār Shanbé Soori” (the celebration that takes place on the Tuesday night before Nowruz), Trick or Treat (Ghāshogh Zani), the cultural characters of this season such as Amoo Nowruz (Uncle of Nowruz), Khāle Gol Bahār (Spring blossom auntie), Haft Sin elements (Seven elements which starts with the sound S), painted eggs and the horn of new year (a wind instrument played when the year turns) as an indication of joy as the spring has arrived.

1- In the beginning the children along with their mothers were waiting outside the classroom, while greeting with their friends and their mothers and their curiosity was raised for what they were going to see in their class.

2- After that joyous entrance children along with their teachers and mothers created a huge egg and started painting this magical egg. In the meantime one of the instructors talked about the elements of Haft Sin.

3- As they all got together around Haft Sin one of the instructors read the story of Amo Nowruz and Khale Golbahar .

4- For the celebration of Chāhār Shanbé Soori we asked all the gusts to cover their eyes with colourful cloths and then they were led to another room in which a lot of lit candles were placed on the ground. The music of Chāhār Shanbé Soori was being played when they removed the covers, the children were so excited and they started jumping over the fire with their mothers while singing “zardeeyé man az tō, sorkheeyé tō az man.” This phrase literally means “I give you my yellowness, I take from you your redness.” This symbolic phrase is meant to make the purifying ritual- you are telling the fire to take your paleness and sickness (yellowness), and in return give you the health, warmth and energy (redness).

5- Then they all returned to the class and started painting the real eggs, when they suddenly heard an increasing sound: “tap tap tap.” Children started wondering what this sound was?

6- One of the instructors from the next classroom covered in a white piece of cloth, was trick or treating, Ghāshogh Zani, (she hold a bowl and taping it with a spoon), and the children started doing the same. They covered themselves with a piece of cloth and held a spoon and a bowl and went to the next door house where Khale Golbahar was waiting for them to give them treats such as chick pea and raisins.

The workshop came to an end with two folk musicians, a drummer and an oboist, playing music and with children dancing to their music. This workshop was on of th،e first experiences for children to get to know and experience the symbols, the celebration and the traditions of Nowruz.