Happy First Day of Spring - or if you're Persian, Happy New Year!

Spring officially arrives on Sunday (March 20th) at 7:21 PM EDT.  And if you ask me, not a day too soon!  It's hard not to get spring fever....I'm dying to put away all the hats, scarfs, gloves and boots, and bring on the light spring jackets and regular shoes!  As I have mentioned before, I come from a Persian background, and the first day of spring is the Persian New Year..... somewhat fitting I think!  Whenever spring comes, I feel the need to make New Year's resolutions, clean the house, purge myself of everything heavy and dull - and surround myself with light and colour. 

My family has always been rather low-key about the Persian New Year - we get together and have a meal and ring in the new year (thankfully this year it's at a decent hour!), and the kids get gifts.  We decorate eggs, and we all admire the table, laden with signs of spring (like the picture on this post I won't get into them, but if you are interested, here's a link to learn more about the traditions of the Persian New Year).

I particularly enjoy the array of cookies my grandma used to make - there were candied almonds, and delicate raisin cookies, and my favourite almond cardamom cookies (which I thankfully can now make myself). 

Perhaps it is because I come from a Persian background, or because getting a fresh start along with the rest of nature seems natural - but every year, I look on the first day of spring as a time of renewal, and a second chance at those New Year's resolutions I made on the first of January!

So, Happy First Day of Spring everyone!  With a nod to Persian culture bring in a cheerful spring plant (like a Hyacinth or a bunch of tulips), give your house a good cleaning, give all the rugs a good shake, and don't forget to dust off the new year's resolutions you made 3 months ago!