Nowruz - the Persian New Year - is one of the world's great festivals, a full month of activities celebrating the earth, the arrival of spring, and the rebirth of nature. Most of all, it is a festival for families. Children and adults alike can share in preparing special meals, decorating the house, and performing the many ceremonies that welcome the New Year. This book is a guide to customs thousands of years old yet as vital as ever - enjoyable for families no matter where they live or what their beliefs. Happy Nowruz offers twenty-five fun, easy, and innovative Nowruz recipes, with lots of photos to show you what to do. This is an ideal guide for parents, teachers, and kids - age six and older - to know more about the origins of Nowruz and to get everyone involved in preparing for the arrival of spring by: - baking Haji Firuz cookies - germinating seeds in eggshells - coloring eggs - making a Nowruz garland - jumping over fires - setting the Haft-sinn (seven-s) holiday table - planting narcissus and hyacinth bulbs - selecting and buying goldfish - banging spoons for trick-or-treating - cooking the Nowruz dinner - enjoying the Outdoor Thirteen picnic