Haft-sin: The 7 Items of the Persian New Year Table

Haft Seen traditional table of Nowruz

SURFIRANAugust 24, 2019Last Updated: November 2, 2026

22 5 minutes read

Haft-sin is the table Iranian families set for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with seven items whose Persian names begin with the letter sin (س), the sound “s”. Sprouted wheat, a sweet wheat pudding, apples, garlic and vinegar sit beside a mirror, candles, painted eggs and often a goldfish, and the family gathers around the table at the moment the new year begins. Here are the seven items, what each one stands for, and how recent the custom really is.

A Haft-sin table with sabzeh, apples, painted eggs and candles for Nowruz — A Haft-sin table set for Nowruz. Photo: Davood Rafiei.

Contents

What does Haft-sin mean?

Haft means seven and sin is the Persian letter س, so Haft-sin means “seven S’s”. The items are laid on a cloth called a sofreh, which is why you will also hear the name sofreh-ye haft-sin; today many families use a table. The display is set up before the turn of the year, in the room where guests are received, and stays in place through the first days of Nowruz.

The seven items of Haft-sin

Families choose their own seven from a larger set of “s” words, so no two tables are quite alike. The most common choices today are:

Item	Persian	What it is	Common meaning
Sabzeh	سبزه	Wheat, barley or lentils sprouted in a dish	Rebirth and growth
Samanu	سمنو	A sweet pudding of sprouted wheat	Abundance and the sweetness of life
Senjed	سنجد	Dried oleaster fruit	Love
Sir	سیر	Garlic	Health
Sib	سیب	Apples	Beauty and health
Somaq	سماق	Sumac	Sunrise and new beginnings
Serkeh	سرکه	Vinegar	Patience and age

The meanings are popular interpretations rather than fixed rules, and they vary from family to family. The Encyclopaedia Iranica lists a slightly different traditional seven that includes sepand (wild rue seeds, burned just after the new year begins) and sekkeh (newly minted coins), and names other “s” items families have used, such as sohan, the saffron brittle of Qom, and sonbol, the hyacinth.

Sabzeh, samanu, senjed, garlic, apples, sumac and vinegar on a Haft-sin table — Each family chooses its own seven items.

What else goes on the Haft-sin table?

Around the seven items, most tables also hold:

A mirror, placed at the head of the table.
Candles, traditionally one for each child in the household.
Painted eggs, usually an odd number.
A bowl of water, often with a goldfish, or with a green leaf or a bitter orange floating in it.
Hyacinths and spring flowers.
A book: the Quran in many homes, or the Shahnameh or the Divan of Hafez.
Sweets, fruit and bread, from pastries to the nuts and dried fruit called ajil.

Painted eggs on a Haft-sin table for the Persian New Year — Painted eggs are a favourite Haft-sin decoration.

Goldfish have become controversial: many die soon after Nowruz, and some families now use a decorative fish or simply a bowl of water instead.

How old is Haft-sin?

The table feels ancient, but the evidence suggests it is more recent than many people think. The Encyclopaedia Iranica notes only a doubtful reference in a manuscript attributed to the Safavid era, few mentions in the accounts of 19th-century travellers who described Nowruz in detail, and concludes that the Haft-sin as we know it seems to have become widespread only in the last century, helped by newspapers, radio and television.

You may also read that the table was once a “haft-shin” of seven items beginning with sh, such as sharab (wine) and shir (milk), or that the name comes from haft sini, “seven trays”. Iranica treats these explanations as late speculation, not established history. What is certain is that the custom of a special Nowruz spread, with greenery, food and light, is much older than the name Haft-sin.

When do you set and clear the Haft-sin?

Families set the Haft-sin in the last days before Nowruz, when the sabzeh has grown a few centimetres high. In 2027 the year turns at about 23:54 Iran time on Saturday 20 March, so families in Iran will gather around the table late that evening. At the moment of tahvil-e sal, the turn of the year, the family sits around the table; elders often hand out eidi, gifts of new banknotes, sometimes tucked between the pages of the book on the table. The table usually stays until Sizdah Bedar, the 13th day of the new year, when many families take the sabzeh on their picnic and leave it in running water to carry away bad luck.

A Haft-sin table beside the Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae during Nowruz — A Haft-sin table at Pasargadae, beside the Tomb of Cyrus, during Nowruz.

How to set your own Haft-sin

Start the sabzeh early. Soak wheat or lentils about two weeks before Nowruz and keep them damp in a shallow dish.
Choose your seven. Any seven “s” items will do; sabzeh, samanu, senjed, sir, sib, somaq and serkeh are the easiest to find in Iranian shops.
Add light and reflection. A mirror and candles are almost always part of the table.
Keep it fresh. Replace fruit and flowers through the holidays and clear the table after Sizdah Bedar.

A modern Haft-sin table decoration idea with flowers and sabzeh — A modern take on the Haft-sin table.

Seeing Haft-sin in Iran

In the weeks before Nowruz, these items fill the bazaars and the special new year markets, and hotels, shops, airports and public buildings set up their own tables. Travelling in Iran in late March lets you see the whole season, from Chaharshanbe Suri on the evening of 16 March 2027 to Sizdah Bedar on 2 April. Read our guide to Nowruz, the Persian New Year for dates and travel tips, or explore our Iran tours.

Frequently asked questions about Haft-sin

What are the seven items of Haft-sin?

The most common seven are sabzeh (sprouts), samanu (sweet wheat pudding), senjed (dried oleaster fruit), sir (garlic), sib (apples), somaq (sumac) and serkeh (vinegar). All begin with the Persian letter sin, the sound s. Families may swap in other s items, such as coins, wild rue seeds or hyacinths.

What does the goldfish on the Haft-sin mean?

The goldfish in a bowl of water is usually explained as a sign of life and movement. It is a popular modern addition rather than one of the seven s items. Because many goldfish die soon after Nowruz, some families now use a decorative fish or just a bowl of water.

When is the Haft-sin table set up?

Families set it up in the last days before Nowruz, once the sabzeh has sprouted, and gather around it at the moment the new year begins. It usually stays until Sizdah Bedar, the 13th day of the new year, when the sabzeh is often taken outdoors and left in running water.

Is Haft-sin an ancient tradition?

A special Nowruz spread is old, but the Haft-sin in its current form seems to be more recent. The Encyclopaedia Iranica finds little evidence for it before the modern period and suggests it became widespread in the last century. Stories of an older haft-shin table are later speculation.

Do Iranians set the Haft-sin outside Iran?

Yes. Iranian families around the world set a Haft-sin for Nowruz, and you will see tables in community centres, restaurants and public buildings in many countries. Other Nowruz-celebrating cultures have their own spring tables, but the Haft-sin with seven s items is a distinctly Iranian custom.