Səməni in the focus of the holiday
Nowruz is ritual jumping over bonfire, plenty of highly caloric sweets and, certainly, Khoncha on each table. Khoncha is a tray with sweets, nuts and dried fruits, with the main symbol of the holiday – səməni, in the center.
Earlier, səməni was grown at home. In ancient times, this tradition was rather of a practical nature. It was used to examine whether the wheat harvest would be good. The wheat was sprouted on a plate for twenty days. Nowadays səməni is Nowruz’s decorative element, as well as a commercial product. Each salesperson tries to decorate it as colorful as possible. In the city center it costs from US$1-2 to US$20, depending on its decoration, shape and size.
