Chaharshanbe Suri

As much as we get close to Nowruz, people rush for many things such as shopping and cleaning. But one particular event we wait for is  Chaharshanbe Suri. This exciting event takes place in the last Tuesday night of Persian  calendar. The live and moving red of fire embraces the night and fights of to the cold of winter. People gather around a big fire and happily start dancing and singing: My yellowness is of you, Your redness is of me! 

Fire always have been  a sacred element in Persia. So it is not a surprise to have a whole  ceremony just to admire it! Chaharshanbe Suri It is the name of a festival that has long been celebrated in a solemn ceremony and is known by the names of last Wednesday celebrations of the year and Wednesday night. It starts on the evening of the last Tuesday of the year and continues until the end of the night.

It has been told, many years ago, when  Zoroaster set the Persian calendar, half of that was Tuesday from the old year and the new year began in the afternoon. Since they were at the beginning of each day in the middle of the night, they declared the following Tuesday as Nowruz, and spent the night celebrating the fireworks. Years passed, and celebrating the last Tuesday of the year regardless of the start of the year was a long – standing cultural mark.