Chaharshanbe Suri - The Festival of Fire
Chaharshanbe Suri takes place on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year according to the Iranian solar calendar and is the first festival of Nowruz - the Iranian New Year
Chaharshanbe Suri is marked primarily by it's celebration of fire and light. In the Zoroastrian religion, fire is believed to be a symbol of life and to have sacred healing properties. During Chaharshanbe Suri firewood and brush will be collected outdoors and lit on fire. There may be multiple smaller fires or one large fire, participants will then jump over the fire(s) as they and onlookers chant:
"Sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to."
"Let your redness be mine, my paleness yours."
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This practice is considered a purification ritual which is done to relieve the jumper of the pale sickness of the winter months they have just endured, and in hopes of a healthy and prosperous new year.
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Many urban cities in the United States with large Iranian populations will host public events for Chaharshanbe Suri where all are welcome to come experience the fire purification process
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Smashing The Pot and Popular Foods
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Another popular Chaharshanbe Suri custom is to smash pots from one's household after jumping over the fire(s). It is superstitiously believed that smashing a pot will transfer bad luck and misfortune from the household to the pot itself. Actual practices of this ritual vary based on region; in some areas coins (symbolizing charity), charcoal (symbolizing bad luck), and salt (to ward off the Evil Eye) will be placed in the pot before it is smashed.
Popular foods of Chaharshanbe Suri include nuts and seeds, dried fruit, and sometimes soups and rice dishes with nuts and dried barberries called Zereshk Polo.
Qasoq-zani - "Spoon banging."
The Nowruz "trick or treat" ritual.
During Chaharshanbe Suri, it is a popular tradition for people to dress up in disguises and go door to door banging spoons and pots, asking for small treats such as candy, fruit, and nuts.