Iran celebrates Chaharshanbeh Souri
On Tuesday evening, people go out and make seven fires at sunset.
Tuesday evening Iran is set alight in the continuing Persian tradition of Fireworks Wednesday -- Chaharshanbeh Souri -- welcoming Nowruz.
Chaharshanbeh Souri is an ancient commemoration dating back to at least 1700 BCE, in the early Zoroastrian era. It was done to banish misfortune, marking the arrival of spring and the revival of nature.
Chahar-Shanbeh literally means Wednesday and Souri means both 'Red' and 'Celebration.' This red celebration happens on the eve of the last Wednesday of the solar year, a celebration always welcomed by Iranians.
On Tuesday evening, people go out and make seven fires at sunset.
On Tuesday evening, people go out, make seven bushfires at sunset; the idea is to not let the sun set. The fires supposedly keep the sun alive 'til the early hours of the morning.
People jump over the fires, singing the traditional song of:
Sorkhi-ye to az man
Zardi-ye man az to
It can be translated as:
Your burning red color shall be mine,
My sickly yellow paleness shall be yours.
Families gather to share the happy moments.
Simply interpreted, the chant means you want the fire to take your paleness, sickness and problems; in return, the fire will give you its redness, warmth and energy.
After lighting the fire, people assemble some symbolic objects in a vase. They put in a piece of coal as a sign of bad luck, some salt as a sign of the evil eye and a small coin as a sign of poverty. They take the vase to the roof of their houses and break it.
It is believed breaking the vase will take bad luck, the evil eye and poverty away from them.
Spoon beating is another symbolic ritual which is a bit similar to Halloween's Trick or Treating. Boys and girls proceed in costume to doorsteps from house to house, asking for treats such as candy, or sometimes money.
It is believed to bring auspiciousness and good luck if they succeed uin collecting treats.
A special assortment of Chaharshanbeh Souri nutmeats is made up to bring a sweet taste to the warm celebration observed in every Iranian home.
The traditions are being touched by the finger of time. Nowadays explosives and dangerous fires have been finding a place in the meaningful tradition.
Families gather to share the happy moments.
This year Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization has registered the event as a national heritage to keep the tradition from being lost to history.
Other links:
Happy New Year, Norooz (1388, 2009)
Norooz Rituals in every region of Iran
Norooz promotes the culture of peace and prosperity
