2024-03-20 14:47:51
Faridé made his way through thousands of people who were rushing on Tuesday morning to make purchases for the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, which begins this Wednesday at 6:36 local time with the spring equinox. “I’m fasting, I usually shop after iftar, but today I made an exception,” said this woman who had come with her sister and a friend of hers. Around it, dozens of stalls selling vegetables, fruits, pickles or dates that at this time share space with the traditional objects that make up the seven S table, or haftsin, with which the Persians welcome the year.
Apples (seeb), garlic (seer), vinegar (serke), golden fish (they don’t start with that but they are still part of the tradition) and even dragons that represent the symbol of this Chinese year, a cultural syncretism assimilated by Iranians since some time ago. In the middle of what is literally defined as a Persian bazaar, vendors competed loudly to attract customers’ attention.
“I think they are trying to take off the pressure,” said Faridé regarding the relaxation of the rules during Ramadan
“Sole Now mubarak (happy new year),” shouted one of them, a 17-year-old boy from Kurdistan who was selling sonboles, the Persian name for hyacinths, which should not be missing in an Iranian home at this time. “The screams make the visit to the bazaar more fun,” said Mehrdad, the boy, who asked the buyers if they were not going to buy, to continue on their way. Let them not cover their flowers. Among the buyers was Faridé, who stopped to tell his story.
“I think that for many like me the tradition of Nowruz is extremely deep-rooted, so much so that it surpasses Ramadan, even though I am religious,” said this woman who celebrated that this year the government wanted to relax the pressure and allowed restaurants, as long as they They had permission, they attended during the day.
Until last year, when Ramadan also coincided with the New Year holidays, hotels, roadside restaurants or other tourist establishments that serve travelers were allowed to open their lounges throughout the day. The rest could only ship orders with the condition of not eating in public spaces.
The laws of the Islamic Republic are strict with the fasting of Ramadan. After the revolution in 1979, a law was passed in which failure to comply with the rules during the holy month was punishable by up to 60 days in prison or 74 lashes. The rules have been relaxed over the years, proportional to the change of a large part of society, especially in the cities, but every year there are stories of arrests or sanctions.
“I think they are trying to take pressure off,” said Faridé. Her sister Fariba took out her cell phone and showed several messages that had arrived from various restaurants with the news that they will also serve breakfast and lunch during Nowruz. “Last year we were traveling and there were many restaurants open because they are touristy, but this is the first time I have seen this in Tehran,” she celebrated. She, unlike her sister, did not fast. “I’m not going to stop doing what I always do on Nowruz because it’s Ramadan,” she said.
The front door of one of the most famous kebab restaurants in the bazaar was covered with a black cloth. People were piling up outside, lining up to get in. The scene was replicated in other establishments in the area such as the one managed by Mehrdad, which sells pizzas and fried chicken. The audience was diverse. “This new rule guarantees the benefits of restaurateurs,” explained this man who, like other restaurateurs, recognized that this was the best time of the year.
The Iranian economy has been deteriorating for years, partly as a result of the sanctions against the country. A good sector of the population claims that it has lost purchasing power – the gap between rich and poor does not stop increasing – and this has a great impact, especially for the middle class, which feels more powerless every day. Much more so this year when the rial, the local currency, collapsed again.
“This will prevent many from going abroad and traveling around the country. That is why it is necessary for restaurants to be able to open and move the economy,” explained Farshid, owner of one of the most popular restaurants in the center of Tehran. “It seems that in some way there is a flexibility starting this year,” he concluded. Some read it as a sign that the government heard the message of the Iranians in the last parliamentary elections, which ended up having the lowest turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic.
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