Naw-Ruz Gifts 2011

Along with Ayyam-i-Ha, Naw-Ruz is for Baha'i children a very special time for sharing and gifts giving!

I have great memories from my childhood and my most favorites ones are always from Naw-Ruz & Ayyam-i-Ha celebrations with my family in Mauritius.
I remember the anticipation and joy it was to wait for Naw-Ruz day to open our gifts...
I remember the new outfits and shoes we got to wear for Naw-Ruz...
I remember visiting families and getting more gifts and envelopes full of money...
I remember the long fun day at the beach with all the Baha'i friends of Mauritius on the day of Naw-Ruz...
Naw-Ruz, almost always, brings back sweet memories from my childhood and past.

I hope to be able to create the same fond memories for my children to treasure when they grow up!

Here are some pictures of Mona opening her Naw-Ruz gifts from mum & dad:

A set of 5 games for children.
We of course had to try all of them on that night with her and it was so much fun playing Bingo, Rummi, tic tac toe & checkers with her... she quickly got the hang of the games and how to play them! The only one we haven't tried playing yet is another card game called 'war'.

I think Mona had been asking me for roller skates for about a year now, and we haven't been able to find any in her sizes, despite our efforts to search in all the toys stores in the city... that is until now...
She was just elated when she opened the box and saw that it was roller skates!
She exclaimed in disbelief:
"Oh My gosh! I can't believe my eyes!! I wanted roller skates for ages!! How did you know!!"

She spent the entire evening with the roller skates on. At first she was a bit scared and needed the help of daddy to go around the house, but then she got confidence and is now rolling away by herself.
And this morning, it was the first thing she asked for when she woke up and she had her skates on till it was bed time for time!
I'm so happy she loved her Naw-Ruz gifts!

Happy Naw-Ruz my darling! We love you!!

Traditional Persian Naw-Ruz dish - Sabzi Polow Ba Mahi

A few years ago, I learned about the very traditional Persian dish that people in Iran eat for Naw-Ruz, it's the Sabzi Polow Ba Mani (Persian Rice with herbs & greens accompanied with Fish).

One thing that you might have noticed in Persian cuisine is the abundance with which fresh herbs are used. Many famous and well-loved Persian dishes contains herbs (sabzi) as their main ingredients. And there is a very good reason for that! Fresh herbs symbolize rebirth. This is very appropriate for this time of year as the arrival of spring brings new life in nature.

It is also customary in Iran to eat fish on the first day of the new year, as it symbolizes life.

And the combination of Sabzi Polow and Fish goes extremely well together!

This year I decided to make this traditional dish for Naw-Ruz, as my dear friend (and previous neighbour) Mana, was really missing her family and her beloved Iran lately.

So here is a picture of our little family having our traditional Persian dish of Sabzi Polow Ba Mahi on Naw-Ruz day.

Our Haft-Sin Table, Naw-Ruz 2011

Haft-Sin or the seven 'S's is a traditional Persian table setting for Naw-Ruz, the Iranian Spring Celebration (New Year). Today the haft-sin table includes seven specific items, all starting with the sin (Sā) in the Persian alphabet. Originally called Haftchin (Haftĉin), the Haft Sin has evolved over time, but has kept its symbolism. Traditionally, families attempt to set the most aesthetically appealing Haft-Sin table they can as an expression of traditional, spiritual, and social value, for visitors during Eid Didani (Naw-Ruz visitations).

Our Haft-Sin Table this year included the following:

1. Sabzi - Wheat sprouts growing in a dish, symbolizing rebirth.
2. Senjed - Dried Fruit of Lotus tree, symbolizing love.
3. Sir - Garlic, symbolizing medicine & health.
4. Sib - Apple, symbolizing beauty & health
5. Somaq - Crushed sumac berries, symbolizing the color of sunrise (the sun conquers evil).
6. Serkeh - Vinegar, symbolizing age and patience.
7. Sekkeh - Coins, symbolizing prosperity.

Other additional 'S' items are optional. On our table we have added:

- Decorated Eggs, symbolizing fertility.

- Candles, symbolizing energy, enlightenment & happiness.

- Gold fish, symbolizing life.

- Mirror, symbolizing cleanliness, honesty and truth.

- Pastries, symbolizing sweetness.

- Dried nuts, berries & raisins.

- A watch

- Divan of Hafez (Persian poetry book).

- Baha'i Prayer book.

- A picture frame of 'Abdu'l-Baha with Shoghi Effendi.

- Some of the Naw-Ruz gifts for our little family.

And of course we now have two new addition to the family!

Meet Jojo & Goldie.

Happy Naw-Ruz!

Eide Shoma Mobarak!

Happy Naw-Ruz 2011

Last evening, after sunset to be exact, was the Baha'i Naw-Ruz (new year celebration), which lasted up till sunset today (21st of March).

So dear friends and loved ones, 

we wish you all a very joyous Naw-Ruz!!

May you all be blessed, loved 

and kept under His wings of protection all year round.

Here is a little video of Mona performing, along with her little friends, at the Naw-Ruz celebration last night.

The little children, aged between 4 and 5, performed the very well known and loved Baha'i song entitled "We are Drops". They each displayed the art work they created for the song at their Baha'i Children Classes.
After the song, Mona had the opportunity to recite the Baha'i Prayer by Baha'u'llah on 'Unity', a prayer that they have just started to learn at their Baha'i Children Classes.

Hope you enjoy the video and once again...

from our family to yours, 

we wish you all a very Happy & Joyous Naw-Ruz!!

Pregnancy Midnight Cravings

This is usually what I go for when the midnight cravings hits in:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with banana and a cup of Tea with milk.

But there are days when I just go for toast with butter and a cup of Tea with milk.

A cup of Tea with milk is always involved in my midnight cravings... always!!!

Pregnancy breakfast cravings

People who knows me well, are well aware that I rarely eat anything for breakfast.
And since being pregnant again, there are some days where I cannot for the life of me put a single thing in my mouth in the morning (I put the blame on the morning sickness)!

But there are days, when I wake up and all I want to eat is this:

Spicy fried taters with eggs, tomato sauce and a glass full of Mango nectar juice!!

I have no idea how I can stomach this full plate of greasy, fat meal for breakfast, but some days, it's all I really want to eat on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday .... you get the idea!

Crazy weird pregnancy craving I guess...

We decided...

... that life needed to get more exciting!!

Mona and Me at week 18 of pregnancy!

My tummy view from top at weeks 24 of pregnancy.

My tummy at week 29 of pregnancy...

Mona & Me at week 29 of pregnancy.