Culture consists of all the ideas, objects, and ways of doing things by a group of people. It’s also the way people think and act. The thinks that can be includes in culture are, art, beliefs, customs, language, traditions, places and things like that.
Symbol is something that you can see or touch. It can be an abject or a picture, a place, a mark or a sign that represent something.
Every place has its own culture and cultural things. One of the cultural symbol of Iranian culture is called “Haft Sin”. The meaning of the Haft Sin in Persian is seven ‘S’s or ‘Sin’. Haft Sin is one of the most important tables in Persian tradition which is put together for “Nowruz”, (the traditional Iranian spring celebration) on the New Year day (around March 21 or 20). The Items are traditionally displayed on the “Sofre ye Haft Sin” which is a dining cloth (sofre) that every household spreads out on the floor (or on a table) in a room that is normally used for guests. The tablecloth or sofre used on the Haft Seen table is made of hand-woven cloth, known as “Termeh”. The most important things that goes on the table include seven things that start with the letter ‘S’ or ‘Sin’ in Persian language.

The Haft Sin items are:

• Sabzeh – wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth

• Samanu – a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence

• Senjed – the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love

• Sir – garlic - symbolizing medicine

• Sib – apples - symbolizing beauty and health

• Somaq – sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise

• Serkeh – vinegar - symbolizing age and patience.

People usually put more things on the sofre ye haft sin. One of the reasons for that is to make the table look better and almost all of the things they put in there have a meaning to them.

Other stuff on the table may include:

• Sonbol – Hyacinth (plant)

• Sekkeh – Coins - representative of wealth

• Aajeel – dried nuts, berries and raisins

• lit cangles - enlightenment and happiness

• a mirror - symbolizing cleanness and honesty

• decorated eggs - sometimes one for each member of the family

• rosewater - believed to have magical cleansing powers

• traditional Iranian pastries – such as baghlava, toot, naan-nokhodchi

• a bowl of water with goldfish - life within life, and the sign of Pisces which the sun is leaving

• a holy book - such as Qur’an or a poetry book like Shahnama or the Divan of Hafez

The whole family gathers around the table and holds each others hands until the transition into the New Year or “Sal Tahvil”. As they wait, they place a sweet in their mouth and a coin in their hand. A traditional meal is also served after the Sal Tahvil, which is usually made of steamed rice with chopped parsley, dill and chives served with fish, known as “Sabzi Polo Mahi” .
The items on the table represent the seven creations and holy immortals. The seven elements of Life, which are Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Plants, Animals, and Human, are represented. Also, each of these things or items has a special meaning to them. Number seven has been regarded as magical by Persian people since long time ago and has reference to the angel that are higher than us. The number is well ingrained in the culture and civilization of Eastern countries. Some people say a Persian scientist (Abureyhan Beerooni) have put down the rules for the seven articles displayed on the Haft Sin.
Haft Sin have a history behind it. About 31 years ago, when the democracy in Iran changed, the Haft Sin was different form today. Originally it was called “Haft Shin” which was seven things that started with the letter ‘SH’ or ‘Shin’ in Persian alphabet. They changed it because “Sharab” (which is vine) was one of the things on the table and it was not legal in Islamic religion to drink Sharab.

I remember from when we were back in my country, my mom made a Haft Sin every year. My favorite things on the Haft Sin were Sabze and the goldfish. I always buy many golf fish, but most of them died after a while. Any way, when it was close to the Sal Tahvil, we were around the Haft Sin with other family and friends around us. I remember the TV was always on and we were counting down the seconds to the Sal Tahvil. The second the new year started, every one got up and started hugging each other and telling each other happy new year. We stayed up almost all knight long. We always had the Haft Sin up till it was two weeks past the new year.

Like I say Haft Sin is a big thing in Iranian Tradition and it's almost impossible for a family to not have one in their house on the new year time. Most of the time people even start their Haft Sin, a week before the new year.

http://oxfordpersian.com/Cultural/HaftSeen.htm - Oxford Persian Society. All Rights Reserved
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Celebrations/haftsin.htm - Prof. A. Shapur Shahbazi, The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)