Nowruz, Ranunculus and Frogs: It's the First Day of Spring!

March 20th - the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Persian New Year known as Nowruz.  Here in Toronto, Nowruz begins at 12:15pm Eastern Daylight time.  Just in time for lunch!

Nevermind the calendar, it's already Spring on the Canadian and US Westcoast, where crocuses and daffodils have been in bloom for weeks.  My friends have been posting pretty pink pictures of cherry, plum and peach blossoms, as well as rhododendrons, azaleas, and budding magnolias.  Here, in Eastern Canada, the Winter hardened, barren earth just lies there, staring bleakly at the sky.  Nothing, nuttin', rien, niete, nichego, nichts, or as the Persians say in Farsi, hichi!    

   

I'm a great one for bringing the mountain to Mohammed.  If there are no flowers outdoors, then, flowershop flowers will brighten the home!  One of my favourite Toronto florist shops, Florigens Design, always has the most beautiful ranunculus.  The flower with the ridiculous sounding name, is actually a buttercup - a big, showy buttercup.  

It looks both sophisticated and simple.  Hundreds of fine, delicately veined petals, give this flower the appearance of a David Austin rose.  In fact, ranunculus is also called a Spring rose.  It looks stunning in a bridal bouquet, or billowing from containers outside of Parisian flower shops, or even as a single stem, alone in a vase.  Ranunculus come in a crayon box of colours, from pure white, to butter cream, pale pink, deep pink, cherry red, merlot wine, bright orange, and saffron yellow.  In the language of flowers, ranunculus means charming.  It is always a joy to photograph.

These Tecolate Ranunculus, also known as Persian Ranunculus, have a Latin name.  Ranunculus is formed from rana, meaning frog, and unculus, the Latin for little.  In other words, the flower is named Little Frog.  In Spring, ranunculus are found growing alongside streams, where little frogs are also found.  I have my own theory about the frog referrence, that it has to do with the green centres of the flowers, which really do look like tiny tree frogs.

You won't find frogs as one of the seven items on the Persian New Year Haft-Seen (or Haft-Sin) table, however, you may sometimes find a goldfish bowl with live goldfish!  It represents new life.  Sadly, the goldfish don't always survive the celebrations.

The seven items which you will find at a Haft-Seen table, all begin with the letter S, and all have significance for the new year.  Sabzeh, is sprouted wheat grass, symbolizing rebirth and renewal.  Sometimes, hyacinth flowers, or, Sonbol are used in place of, or alongside wheat grass to symbolize Spring.  Senjed is the dried fruit of the lotus tree, but any dried fruit - especially dates and apricots - will be used to represent love.  Sib (or seeb) is a fresh apple for beauty and vitality.  Seer is garlic for medecine and taking care of your health.  Samanu is a sweet wheat germ pudding representing wealth and abundance.  Serkeh is vinegar, for the patience and wisdom that comes with age.  Sumac (or somaq) is the red ground spice made from berries of the sumac tree, representing the sunrise, and the dawn of a new day.  It signifies light, overcoming dark. 

There's a Persian legend of a young prince who always wore green and gold.  He sang day and night to a beautiful nymph, who, irritated and bored out of her mind with his neverending singing, turned him into - not a frog - but a ranunculus flower!  Which, in a sense is a little frog!  If you're wondering if kissing a ranunculus flower, will turn it into a handsome prince - I got hichi!

Happy Spring!  Happy Nowruz!

(Which is it?  Norooz, Norouz, or Nowruz?  All spellings appear on-line.  Nowruz was adopted by the United Nations in 2010.  The problem with this choice, is that it is not phonetically correct, since the word is not pronounced now-rooz, it is pronounced no-rooz.  The debate continues...)


Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.