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Nowruz is many things: a reset button, a family reunion, a reason to overcook rice. But aesthetically? It’s a moment.
As spring approaches, Haft Sin tables begin to appear in homes, each one a chance to express the tradition and symbolism tied to Nowruz, the Persian New Year which falls on 20 March this year. Nowruz marks the spring equinox and has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years, originating in ancient Persia. It represents renewal, balance and the cycles of life, offering a moment to pause and reflect on the year just passed.
What do the 7 items on a Haft Sin table represent?
The Haft Sin table, deeply poetic and yet delightfully quirky displays seven items beginning with the Persian letter “S,” each carrying symbolic meaning. Across different homes and interpretations, these tables blend heritage with individual expression. A mirror, or ayneh, often occupies the centre, symbolising reflection and clarity for the year ahead. Apples, or seeb, represent beauty and health, while painted eggs stand for fertility and continuity. Candles bring light and warmth and a bowl of goldfish, when included, symbolises the flow of life. Senjed, the dried oleaster fruit, embodies love and wisdom, and coins or sekkeh, signify prosperity. Sprouted greens, sabzeh, reflect rebirth, while samanu, a sweet wheat pudding, represents strength. Garlic and vinegar, seer and serkeh, remind us that growth requires patience and protection.
12 of our favourite Haft Sin tables for 2026
The spellbinding Haft Sin
Mirror, Mirror
A gleaming mirror (ayneh) sits at the heart of the table, symbolising reflection and clarity for the year ahead. It also conveniently doubles candlelight, softens everything and makes the entire spread look twice as fabulous.
The Still-life Haft Sin
Apples strike a pose
Seeb (apples) represent beauty and health. Polished within an inch of their lives and stacked like edible sculpture, they channel still-life painting in an ode to ancient symbolism.
The glamorous Haft Sin
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Candles (Sham‘eh)
Softly flickering, candles symbolise light, warmth and enlightenment for the year ahead. Traditionally, one candle is placed for each family member, representing unity and protection. On a beautifully styled Haft Sin table, they also add height, casting everything in a hopeful, golden light.
The minimalist Haft Sin
Eggs with personality
Painted eggs symbolise fertility and continuity. Whether delicately gilded or boldly graphic, they’re the detail that lets hosts show off a little. Spring, but styled.
The floating Haft Sin
Senjed, the mysterious one
Dried oleaster fruit (senjed) stands for love and wisdom. Not everyone recognises it at first glance, which only adds to its intrigue. Taste-wise its textured, earthy and understated, reflecting personal values we might want to take forward into the new year.
The compartmentalised Haft Sin
Coins (Sekkeh)
Shimmering in spectacular fashion, coins represent prosperity, abundance and financial well-being in the year ahead. Traditionally placed in a small dish or scattered, they carry wishes for success and stability.
The content creator Haft Sin
Poetry, always
A beautifully bound volume of Hafez or the Shahnameh often centres the display, reflecting poetry’s central role in Iranian culture. Guests may open it at random for a reading: part literature, part life advice, entirely chic.
The traditional Haft Sin
Green bounty
Sabzeh, those wildly photogenic sprouted greens, are grown in advance and represent rebirth. Historically tied to agricultural cycles. The taller and wilder, the better. Slightly unruly? Perfect.
The antique Haft Sin
Samanu, the dessert that makes you strong
Samanu, a sweet pudding made from sprouted wheat, stands for strength and abundance. It takes hours to prepare which makes presenting it in a hammered copper bowl feel entirely justified. It’s a delicacy preserved only for the most special of occasions.
The tiny Haft Sin
The garlic & vinegar power couple
Seer (garlic) is for protection and health; serkeh (vinegar) signals patience and longevity. Together they’re the slightly sharp duo reminding everyone that growth takes time, and possibly a strong immune system. Styled in delicate glassware, they look far gentler than they taste.
The modernist Haft Sin
Sumac’s scarlet moment
A small dish of sumac, symbolising sunrise and the triumph of light over darkness, brings a hit of deep crimson to the table. It’s tiny but mighty, like the best accessory in an otherwise neutral outfit.
What makes our favourite Haft Sin tables so compelling isn’t just their beauty, it’s their undeniable charming eclecticism. Each apple, each sprout, each mirror and candle is rich in symbolism, tracing back to pre-Islamic, Zoroastrian traditions that celebrated renewal at the precise second of the equinox. The aesthetic, however, remains endlessly adaptable: maximalist florals, minimalist ceramics, heirloom silver, contemporary glass. Nowruz reminds us that design can be inherited and adapted for centuries to come.
