Iranians mark ancient festival of 'Chaharshanbeh Soori'
Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Hamadan
The last Wednesday of the Persian year is a time to sing and dance. Chaharshanbeh Soori or the red Wednesday is a fire festival Iranians have been celebrating for three millennia on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar year.
During the occasion, families light a bonfire and jump over it, while making wishes for a prosperous new year.
In a creative measure, UNESCO's Tehran office invited performers from different parts of Iran to the city of Hamadan to showcase their traditions in observing Chaharshanbeh Soori, each in their own unique style.
Although Chaharshanbeh Soori has survived through the centuries, sometimes it is also associated with dangers, as the new generation use fireworks and improvised explosives to mark the event, often causing injuries.
Many Iranian celebrities this year urged people to refrain from using dangerous firecrackers, and instead, stick to the genuine and beautiful traditions of marking the ancient occasion.
After three thousand years, Chaharshanbeh Suri is still marked as part of rituals to ring in the Persian New Year. The age-old tradition is believed to shake off the darkness of winter and welcome the vibrance of spring.
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