It is a lively and boisterous celebration, with participants shouting and singing traditional songs as they go. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. The act of breaking the pot symbolizes the breaking of barriers and obstacles, and the embracing of new beginnings and opportunities. 'Scarlet Wednesday'), is an Iranian festival of the fire dance celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year, of ancient Zoroastrian origin. Chahar Shanbeh Suri or " Festival of Fire " is a prelude to Nowruz which marks the arrival of the spring season. The reader chooses a verse at random as the fortune for the owner of the object taken from the pot. Today, this celebration does not depend on any religious or ethnic thought, and Muslims to Zoroastrians, Christians, etc., participate in this celebration and pass it on from one generation to another. It has also become a way for young people to express their creativity, with some designing and decorating their spoons and other utensils with colorful ribbons, flowers, and other decorations. In addition, from seven days before the New Year until the fourteenth day of Nowruz, at the same time with the darkness of the weather, they started lighting fires in different parts of the city and the village. Iranians, Azerbaijanis, Afghans, Tajiks and Turks (Azeris living in Turkey) celebrate this day by lighting fire. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Chaharshanbe Suri is an Iranian festival celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz. 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The most important part of this ancient ritual is lighting a big fire and jumping on it, which, of course, is performed in the same way in the Kurdish Nowruz ritual, and the view is that by jumping over the fire, they set fire to diseases, problems, and sorrows. We will have delicious Persian food . Since fire plays a fundamental role in this event, the latter meaning ("scarlet") is more likely. It cant be put down its a culture, its so old and its so written into people.. Iranians come out with friends and family to celebrate and enjoy this occasion. On the eve of Chaharshanbe Suri (and also on ab-e ella, see, e.g., Enjav, I, p.25) a young man who wishes to know his chances with a particular girl fastens a rope, a sash, or a long piece of cloth to a basket and, accompanied by a member of his family, drops it through an opening or chimney of the girls home or drapes it from her roof or over the door. Jumping over the fire requires courage and agility, as the flames can reach several feet high. The pot used in the tradition is typically made of clay and filled with a variety of nuts, sweets, and sometimes coins. Like other traditions associated with the Chaharshanbe Suri festival, the practice of smashing the pot is not without its risks. AIAP expressly disclaims any liability for the views and opinions provided by its members, sponsors, volunteers, contributors, employees,agents, speakers, and any entity who adds content, advertisement, or announcement on AIAP website, emails, and printed matter. It is believed that by participating in the game, individuals can strengthen their bonds with others and attract good fortune and prosperity in the coming year. Then slips of paper inscribed with verses or sentences containing auguriesthe number of slips must equal the number of people presentare put into the jug. Charshanbe Suri in New York City, March 2016. (Cancelled) 21st Annual Chahar-Shanbeh Soori with Sandy, DJ Julius, DJ Mohsen, DJ Kiarash, DJ Sepand & DJ Davood in San Diego When. Irans Sanandaj, Bandar Abbas join UNESCOs Creative Cities Network, Christmas in Iran How Iranian Celebrate Christmas Eve. Chaharshanbe Suri is a beautiful prelude to celebrating the larger Nowruz ritual, and people are celebrating spring by holding it. We'll e-mail a link to reset your password. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Rue contains several bioactive compounds, including alkaloids and flavonoids, which have been shown to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. 17-Mar-2020 . One of the reasons for this is that it is held on the last Wednesday night of the year; In fact, according to the lunar calendar, Wednesday begins on Tuesday evening. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. 2020-2022 Irantripedia. Chahar Shanbeh Suri or Festival of Fire is a prelude to Nowruz which marks the arrival of the spring season. On the final Tuesday of the Iranian year, he prepares to cross the fire and emerges unharmed from its flames. Participants must take care to avoid injuring themselves or others, and proper safety measures should be taken to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all involved. Spoon-banging (Ghashogh Zani) is a unique and lively tradition that is practiced during the Chaharshanbe Suri festival in Iran. Some argue that suri also means red, hence the variant translation Red Wednesday, with red possibly referring to fire. A young child is assigned to reach into the jug and pull out one piece of paper and give it to the most learned or literate man in the party. All rights reserved. Despite its popularity, the practice of fortune-telling is not without controversy in Iran. The nuts and sweets that spill out of the pot are also believed to be a symbol of abundance and prosperity. They believed that the spirits of the dead would come for reunion. The tradition is deeply rooted in Zoroastrianism, the dominant religion of Iran prior to the Islamic conquest. The popular opinion is that the ritual has its roots in ancient Zoroastrian traditions, where fire is sacred and considered to be the visible presence ofAhura Mazda. Festival of Fire and Fire Jumping Festival are a few of the names used to refer to it. Another unique tradition that is a part of the Chaharshanbe Suri festival in Iran is the practice of smashing the pot, or kza-ekan in Persian. They believed that the spirits of the dead would come for reunion. Regardless of these debates, many Iranians continue to embrace the tradition of fortune-telling during the Chaharshanbe Suri festival. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Regardless of where you go, be sure to dress appropriately for the weather and bring appropriate footwear for jumping over bonfires and engaging in other outdoor activities. Smoking Espand, broom burning, glass burning, burning old furniture, pouring fire ashes out of the house, and even breaking the jar have all been measures to ward off misfortune and remove eyesores. We dont just connect cultural explorers with Irans charming locals and deep heritage, we export Iranian culture to the world. Some Iranian officials have expressed concern over the noise pollution caused by the tradition, and have called for restrictions or bans on the practice in some areas. Chaharshanbeh Soori Festival happening at Razi Farsi School & Art Academy , 4125 Blackford Ave, # 145, San Jose, CA 95117, Sunnyvale, United States on Tue Mar 15 2022 at 06:30 pm. Sirang Rasaneh Interactive Web Design and Multimedia Studio. The last family member then tosses the jug from the roof to the alley after turning it around in his hands. Iran executions surged in 2022 to 'spread . As if jumping over the fire is no longer enough to purify your psyche of all the misfortunes and bad memories typical of modern life, now you need firecrackers to ward off evil spirits (or an unsuspecting passerby) by making loud explosion noises. TAP Persia offers the widest range of resources for those wishing to be a part of Iran tourism, including rooms, board, transportation, tours, activities, shopping, entertainment, recreation & online education. In addition, unique cuisine is made in several regions of Iran for the Chaharshanbe Suri celebration. An Enthusiastic person about history and an in-love person with biking, history and astronomy, I finally found all the sweet combination in one word: Tourism. Since the Arab invasion, the manner people celebrate it now has undergone significant change. Chaharshanbeh Soori is one such celebration that is nearly 4000 years old and is one of the most popular festivities among Iranians, with deep historical and traditional roots. General Meeting: Legal Ways to Transfer Assets from Iran to US and How to Obtain OFACLicense" by Ms. Mehrnoush Yazdanyar, Esq. The origins of this tradition are unclear, but it is believed to have originated from ancient Zoroastrian rituals that were practiced in Iran before the arrival of Islam. Shattering an earthenware jug was another unique Chaharshanbe Suri ceremonial that was primarily carried out in the past. The way they worded their answers was constructive not destructive, Casnig said. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. There was also another Pearl Cannon in Tabriz. In eastern and southeastern Iran a useless old pot is usually chosen, rather than a new one. In ancient times, it was believed that the burning of rue could purify the air and protect against various diseases. In fact, as mentioned, there was no week in ancient Iran, and the time of holding Chaharshanbe Suri was between the last 10 days of the year; Until apparently this festival is established in the early Islamic centuries on the last Wednesday of the year and it is used to remove misfortune and misuse. So, the time varies depending on where we are in the solar year cycle. It is also interesting to know that having a common denominator between them, each region celebrates Chaharshanbe Suri with its own customs. Another popular dish during the festival is Sabzi Polo ba Mahi, a fragrant rice dish that is served with grilled fish. This heavy gun, which was cast by the foundry-man Ismil Isfahni in 1800, under the reign of Fath-Ali Shah of the Qajar dynasty, became the focus of many popular myths. Then Amir sat in the palace and it was not yet the end of the year that they lit a huge fire because the Suri night is as it is an old custom. For the new year, health and happiness were wished by fire and light. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He said despite having to navigate around bureaucracy and changing COVID restrictions, city staff were enormously helpful in allowing this to take place. The tradition of jumping over the fire is performed by people of all ages, from young children to the elderly. Charshanbe Suri includes a custom similar to trick-or-treating that is called qoq-zani (),[8] literally translated as "spoon-banging". Your email address will not be published. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Before jumping, people recite the phrase Sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to, which means May your redness be mine, and my paleness be yours. These cards are laid out in a particular pattern, and the fortune-teller interprets their meaning based on the position and arrangement of the cards. So they made seven various types of colorful pilafs, including ones with dill, cumin, raisins, dates, lentils, and other ingredients. In Mzandarn, Gorgn, Gln, and Tehran, sabz-polow with fish is most often eaten. and included jumping over fires and launching fireworks. Thus, it can be concluded that after the advent of Islam, the Iranians held a celebration on that day to remove the evil of the last Wednesday of the year. The Chaharshanbe Suri festival also coincided with festivals celebrating the creation of fire and humans. The book also mentions the origin of the Pearl Cannon. He says that the festival is a welcoming environment that allows people to familiarize themselves with a Persian culture that has been almost overwritten by regimes like that in Iran, but has prevailed. Chaharshanbe Suri is an Iranian festival celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz. Friday, March 11, 2022 , 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM University of Maryland Iranian Students' Foundation . It is a way for individuals to come together and celebrate their community, while also having fun and enjoying the festive atmosphere. It is observed by people wearing disguises and going door-to-door to hit spoons against plates or bowls and receive packaged snacks.