Suri

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. The name of this celebration is Chaharshanbe Suri. 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, ...View all