By Elaine Giammetta 

The beauty of exploring the celebrations and rituals of another culture is that it invariably leads to discovering new foods and recipes. I truly believe in "The Language of Food," for no matter where in the world we may find ourselves, sharing the bounty of the land or the sea with others, transcends the necessity for conversation. Food speaks to us, not just through its flavors, but often is used as symbols of our beliefs. We’ll visit three countries to see how they ‘bring in spring."

For many, March is synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day (St. Paddy’s or St. Patty’s) and the wearing of "the green." The roots of this celebration are religious; however in the 1990s the Irish government began to use this celebration as an opportunity to showcase Ireland and its culture. They established a group called St. Patrick’s Festival.

Their purpose:

It is interesting to learn that it didn’t become a public holiday in Ireland until 1903, meanwhile across the great pond in America, the colonists held the first parade in Boston in 1737!

It’s probably safe to say that there won’t be an Irish household that won’t be serving Corned Beef and Cabbage, Irish Stew, Dublin Coddle , Irish Soda Bread  or some other Irish favorite on the 17th. Over time commercialism’s tentacles have infiltrated the cuisine with recipes including descriptors such as; Pot o’ Gold, Shamrock and Leprechaun! Of course the meal would not be complete without an Irish Spirits or a tall glass of beer, preferably Guinness, and if it’s green all the better.

If we travel south, away from the Emerald Isle to our friends in Australia we have the opportunity to participate in their International Neighbour Day celebration, March 28th. I first learned of this celebration when its founder, Andrew Heslop, contacted us for tips and recipes. This relatively new holiday, having only started in 2003, like many holidays, has its foundation in tragedy.

Mrs. Elsie Brown had been dead for two years, unbelievably forgotten by her neighbors, friends and family. Even though mail and newspapers piled up on her doorstep, no one seemed to think that odd and pay attention. It wasn’t until one neighbor realized that she hadn’t seen Mrs. Brown in quite some time that she called the Victoria Police. When the police arrived and broke in they found her skeletal remains, wrapped in a blanket on her couch. They estimated that she had died in January of 2001!

The evolution of Neighbour Day has been quite remarkable. What founder Andrew Heslop started, as a warning to check on elderly neighbors, has grown into a much wider annual celebration of strong communities and friendly streets. People of all ages participate because everyone everywhere is a neighbor no matter where you live or your personal circumstances.

Not only do residents hold barbecues and street parties on front lawns and in the parking lots of apartment complexes, but councils and other local government bodies hold major festivals and community events! Now there are plans to make Neighbour Day a truly global event as an official U.N. Observance Day, following ratification by the General Assembly, could lead to an International Year of Neighbourliness sometime in the future.

This celebration provides a great opportunity to teach through the plate about each family’s ancestry and what makes their country special to them. Inviting guests to share a favorite childhood dish becomes a portal for conversation and demystifying cultures. What a wonderful way to be attentive to the well being of our neighbors and share what is special about our ethnic origins with each other. Choose a dish or two that are your childhood favorites. You'll be able to share stories about why they are. Invite your guests to bring something to share that was special from their childhood as well. Each dish can then be used as a conduit to talk about families and countries of origin.

Nowruz – Iranian (Persian) New Year (Iran) 

Many countries celebrate the spring equinox and our next stop is the Middle East, specifically Iran. Nowruz, Iranian New Year, is a Celebration of Life, having as many as twelve days of festivities, ending with an Outdoor Thirteen Picnic (more on the picnic later). Iranians take their celebration very seriously, as this holiday is viewed as the time when their ancestors descend from above to visit them.

Preparations often begin as much as a month in advance. Spring cleaning, Khaane-Tekaani in Persian, is an important part of the celebration and commences with the scrubbing of floors, furniture, etc. Two-three weeks before the ‘official’ date, (March 20^th) families might plant their Sabzeh (wheat, lentil or barley seeds) in pots around their home, so they’ll sprout in time to be included in the Haft Sin table. However, today many simply purchase them at their local markets, along with new clothes, sweets, flowers and the other articles for Haft Sin table. All the preparations, the cleaning, special foods, Haft Sin table and more, are meant to show their best and honor those spirits.

While the Haft Sin table is the tangible focal point of Nowruz, just as the Christmas tree is for Christians or the Seder meal for Jews, it is the meditation and prayer that signals the end of one year and the beginning of a new one.

The seventh Haft Sin, serkeh (vinegar), ties into Persian mythology, including the seven levels of earth and heaven, seven deities superior to others, seven constellations which controlled the fate of the mortals and even the seven days of the week.

The table may also include traditional Iranian pastries like baghlava, toot (usually white) berries, Aajeel (dried nuts, berries and raisins), lit candles (which represent enlightenment and happiness), a mirror, decorated eggs (sometimes one for each member of the family-fertility), a bowl with goldfish (life, and the sign of Pisces which the sun is leaving), a bowl of water with an orange in it (the earth floating in space), rose water (for its magical cleansing powers) the national colors (a patriotic touch), a poetry book, such as the Shahnama or the Divan of Hafez, and/or a holy book such as the Quran.

Nowruz is not without its fanfare. Hajji Firuz, the official herald, is an old tambourine man with a black painted face, wearing red clothing, and along with a troupe of musicians, spreads high spirits as he dances and sings throughout the streets in cities and villages. His is a message of health, power, happiness and abundance in the New Year. At the end of the ‘performance’ he and his troupe are invited to a Norwuzian meal and given an Eidi (gift).

The traditional Nowruzian meal would include sabzi polow (saffron rice with herbs), white fish, Nan (flatbread), lubia polow (red rice with green beans), Kuku, green rice and yogurt is just a few of the main dishes that might part of the meal. The menu may vary depending on the region, for example, the people who live along the Caspian Sea have access to fresh herbs and fish, while those in the mountain regions do not. Iranians love their sweets just like the rest of us, serving a variety of cookies (gingerbread, walnut, almond and rice) as well as ice cream, popsicles and pastries.

So what exactly do the participants do for twelve days? Well once the samovar is filled with tea and trays of sweets are made ready, the visitations begin. The first three days the older generations stay home and welcome the younger generation into their homes. To show their respect, children will bring gifts of flowers or pastries and the elders (parents or grandparents) offer aydi, gifts of new crisp notes of money. Often they will bless the money by putting them into a holy book, or writing a message on it. The fourth day it’s the elders turn to do the visiting, which affords everyone to be guest.

Finally the day arrives for the Outdoor Thirteen Picnic, which usually takes place near water, such as a stream. It is considered bad luck to stay home on the thirteenth day so everyone goes out for a picnic. The picnic is in honor of Tir, the Zoroastiran angel of the rains, although every hopes for a clear day. Persian picnic foods include kabobs, green rice, kuku (herbed), mast-o kyiyâr (yogurt dip), baskets of fresh fruits, and of course plenty of pastries, cakes and sweetmeats.

It is believed by many, that picnic is the time where they are bidding their ancestors farewell as they return to the heavens. The holiday ends with the family throwing sprouts from the Nowruz table, into the water hoping to throw away any evil spirits that might have been lurking in their home and bring happiness and luck for the new year.

 www.wikipedia.com, Neighbourday.org, Irpedia.com, Happy Nowruz (by Najmieh Batmanglij), www.worldwidepropertyshop.com, www.123greetings.com,