Festival of Fire · Chaharshanbe Suri

/tʃæ.hɒːr.ʃæm.ˈbe suː.ˈriː/

Culture of origin: Iranian · Ancient festival

Holiday sources: Azerbaijani · Bakhtiari · Gilak · Iran · Lur · Mazandarani · Persian Gulf Coast and Islands · Talysh · Zoroastrianism

This fire festival of ancient Zoroastrian origin is held on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz. People jump over bonfires singing "your redness for me, my paleness for you", so the fire takes away illness and gives strength, and go spoon-banging door to door in disguise for snacks. The Islamic Republic has discouraged it as a "pagan relic", and its large gatherings have at times become anti-regime demonstrations. The Talysh call its eve Kula shav and hold the eve more important than the day itself.