Chahārshanbe Suri the last Wednesday of the Persian solar year, the eve of which is marked by special customs and
Rituals, most notably jumping over fire.
It is celebrated in
Iran and Afghanistan. It is is an ancient Iranian festival dating back to at least 1700 BCE of the early Zoroastrian era.
In the evening of the last Tuesday of each year, Iranians celebrate a fire festival with its roots in the ancient customs and history of the country.
People set up bonfires in the streets and jump over them to cleanse themselves of all the misfortunes and impurities of the past year and get ready to welcome the coming New Year
There are Zoroastrian religious significance attached to Chahārshanbeh Suri and it serves as a cultural festival for Iranian people.
The celebration usually starts in the evening, with people making bonfires in the streets and jumping over them singing "zardi-ye man az toh, sorkhi-ye toh az man".
The literal translation is, my yellow is yours, your red is mine. This is a purification rite; loosely translated, this means you want the fire to take your pallor, sickness, and problems and in turn
...see more give you redness, warmth, and energy.
It is believed that this ritual renders them immune for a whole year to maladies and misfortunes that make people pale and thin.
Fire, not only in historic Persia, has long been held as sacred among Indians, Europeans and many other cultures.
According to ancient Iranian beliefs, Azar (Fire) was the son of Ahura Mazda. Ancient Persians believed in the purity and purifying power of fire. The belief was so strong that, to prove one's innocence, people had to cross through the fire, as Siavash did in Ferdowsi's epic poem, the Shahnameh.
Such Rituals are customary in all parts of Iran. In most villages local musicians and drummers play an accompaniment.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.iranicaonline.org
http://www.iranvisitor.com
