today we celebrate #nowruz, the persian new year and also the beginning of spring.
in the old persian folklore, nowruz told the story of amo nowruz (uncle nowruz) and nane sarma (grandma frost).
there are different versions of the story, but the version i know is that on the first day of spring every year, nane sarma waits for amo nowruz to come and visit her, after being away all year. but before he comes she always falls asleep from exhaustion. to show appreciation for her efforts and to let her know he passed by, he takes half of the haftsin she laid out on the table. when she wakes up she realizes that amo nowruz has come and gone, and so waits again for the next spring. they say that if the two of them see each other the world will be destroyed.
most depictions of amo nowruz and nane sarma are them in their old age. this is my take on the story of nowruz - of amo nowruz and nane sarma in their youth.
happy nowruz! !نوروز مبارک
