Chaharshanbe Suri (چهارشنبه ‌سوری)

     Chaharshanbe Suri is celebrated on the last Tuesday evening of the year.  It is a prelude to the Nowruz festival and the most exciting holiday of the year for many.  Chaharshanbe Suri is also known as the "Festival of Fire" because of its ancient Zoroastrian origins, and in English it means "Red Wednesday." 


Chaharshanbe Suri celebration

      Chaharshanbe Suri was a much different holiday in ancient times.  It used to be a ten day feast known as Hamaspathmaedaya "Feast of All Souls."  Ancient Zoroastrians believed that during these final days of the year the spritis of the dead would come back to be reunited with their loved ones.  The Faravahar (human guardian angels) would also attend and people would welcome these spirits into their homes.  Just before the New Year they would send them on their way with an ancient ritual.
    
     Today Chaharshanbe Suri is a day to prepare for the Nowuz
festival.  It is a day filled with house cleaning and preparation for living
relatives, and dead ones.  Children enjoy walking through the streets covered in white shrouds to represent the dead coming to reunite with lost loved ones.  The children bang on pots and pans to represent the "beating out of the last Wednesday of the year."  Wednesday is unlucky in both Persian and Arab culture and the beating of the pots and pans hold the evil spirits of Ahriman away until it passes.  These children will also go from door to door in their shrouds asking for treats.  One of the most popular treats to receive is ajeel, which is an assortment of mixed nuts and dried fruits.

     When dusk falls the real fun begins.  Children will run through the streets swinging balls of flaming steel wool and jumping over bonfires.
Jumping over the bonfire is highly anticipated by many young people and something they look forward to all year.  The bonfires are not only for fun they are also very symbolic of ancient Zoroastrian tradition. 
     In ancient times the bonfires were kept burning throughout the night in order to keep the evil spirits of Ahriman at bay.  When the sun set these bonfires would replace the sun until dawn.  They would light three
bonfires in a triangle which represented the Zoroastrian creed of "good
deeds, good thoughts, and good words." 

     Today people normally light one bonfire, and then have some fun.  They take turns jumping over the fire chanting "Sorkhi-ye to az man; Zardi-ye man az to" which in English means "Give me your beautiful red color, and take my sickly yellow paleness."  This is considered a purification rite in which the jumper's misfortunes for the previous year are taken and burned by the fire.  The fire then replenishes the jumper's soul with a new start on life for the New Year.  Fire in ancient Zoroastrian times was the symbol for life and this idea still translates to many Iranians today. 

     One of the less practiced traditions of Chaharshanbe Suri, but none the less interesting is the idea that wishes come true on this fire-filled evening.  People will make a wish and then listen to the conversations of
people on the streets as they pass by, or they will hide in shadows where they can listen to people without being seen.  They listen to the conversations and attempt to decipher any clues in the conversation relating to their wish.  It is like ancient fortune telling through random selection.  The rest of the night will be spent with family, friends, song, and dance as the night turns to dawn and the Nowruz festival is one day closer.