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Would a Jew be allowed to partake in the festivities of Nowruz which involves 7 haft-seen, 7 different foods that each symbolize a different divinity?

mbloch
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user16841
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    Welcome to Mi Yodeya! Consider taking the following short tour to learn more about the site. Consider also registering your account to unlock more features of the site. – mevaqesh May 16 '16 at 03:21
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    I took the liberty of editing in a link to the question. If you want to change this or anything else in your question, just edit it. – mevaqesh May 16 '16 at 03:22

1 Answers1

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There appear to be multiple issues here

  • Nowruz appears to be a religious ceremony (Wikipedia: "remains a holy day for Zoroastrians") and a Jew is forbidden to participate in non-Jewish religious ceremonies

  • one of the seven foods of Haft-Seen is vinegar: if it is made from grapes, vinegar (doubly so in the context of a religious ceremony) is not kosher if (1) not certified or (2) handled by non-Jews

  • the other dishes, assuming some at least are cooked (like the pudding in the title of your question), would also not be kosher unless specifically prepared according to the laws of kashrut

As always for specific situations you should CYLOR

Double AA
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mbloch
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  • I dont see anything in the link about wine that is not certified being prohibited. – mevaqesh May 16 '16 at 05:06
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    "and a Jew is forbidden to participate in non-Jewish religious ceremonies" Since this seems to be the crux of the question, some sources would be appreciated. What is the prohibition, what are its parameters, etc. – mevaqesh May 16 '16 at 05:08
  • @mevaqesh the link was because "wine merely touched by a non-Jew is forbidden by Rabbinic decree" – mbloch May 16 '16 at 05:08
  • @mbloch so are you agreeing that your claim that without rabbinic supervision wine is forbidden, is source-less? – mevaqesh May 16 '16 at 05:09
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    @mevaqesh yes it is source-less and correct – mbloch May 16 '16 at 05:10
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    @mbloch It's actually a matter of dispute. Some authorities think at least some modern grape processing facilities are so automated that there is no problem because the grape stuff get pasteurized before anyone touches it. – Double AA May 16 '16 at 05:12
  • This answer is good Lemaasse. Who says that it is prohibed to consume stam yeynam is not source-less. Things that are obvious do not need source. If you says to be Shomer Shabbat and Meniach Tefilin, even without quoting source, it is not sourceless. But the core of the question is the problem of "symbolising a divinity". I do not see how the pudding simbolyse a divinity. What is it? – kouty May 18 '16 at 12:29
  • Late in the game, but I would point out that even traditional Iranian Jews have haftseen tables. It's not the Kashrut that's the problem.. – MDjava Mar 19 '23 at 19:38