The Persian letter “sin” gives the Haft-sin table its name.
Haft-sin literally means “seven S’s,” referring to seven symbolic displays whose names begin with the Persian letter س, pronounced “sin.” Common examples include seeb, or apple; senjed, or oleaster fruit; seer, or garlic; and somaq, or sumac.
The table is arranged for Nowruz and may also include items such as a mirror, candles, painted eggs, flowers, and a Qur’an or another book, depending on family and religious tradition. These additional objects are not part of the literal seven-S requirement.
A frequent mistake is to assume that every household uses exactly the same seven objects. The core convention is the initial letter, but the specific list can vary by region and family.