Persian Festivals

Historical Roots

Chahrshanbe Souri is the “Festival of fire” which is a vibrant and ancient Persian festival celebrated on the evening of last Wednesday (around March 17-18) before Nowruz. Chaharshanbe means “Wednesday” and the word Souri is likely to be derived from the Persian word for “red”, symbolizing fire and warmth. This festival’s origins are deeply tied to Zoroastrianism. Fire represented the eternal struggle between good and evil and was believed to have cleansing powers. That is why Chaharshanbe Souri emphasises on renewal, purification, and hope for the new year.

This festival underscores the idea of casting away past misfortunes and starting afresh. It also has elements of remembrance for the deceased. Ancient Iranians believed that spirits visited their families during this time, and certain rituals were performed to honor and appease them.

Celebration

The most iconic activity on Chaharshanbe souri involves families, friends, and neighbours coming together and lighting small bonfires and jumping over them while reciting: “Zardi-ye man az toh, sorkhi-ye toh az man!” (“Take away my pallor, give me your glow.”) to the fire. This symbolizes exchanging illness and bad luck for health and vitality.

Another tradition on this day is spoon tapping that reflects the communal and playful spirit of the festival. It is a practice where individuals, often disguised in veil costumes, go door-to-door tapping spoons against bowls to receive treats.

The night continues with families enjoying the night dancing, having feasts and watching fireworks across the country.

Activities

Add sparkle to the night with safe, family-friendly fireworks.

What you’ll need:

1. Sparkles
2. Small fireworks

What to do:

Hand out safe sparkles to the kids (with supervision) and let them enjoy creating light patterns.

Sky lanterns are a magical way to celebrate Chaharshanbe Souri. It is a symbolic way of sending your wishes to the sky.

What you’ll need:

1. Biodegradable sky lanterns
2. A safe, open space with minimal wind

What to do:

Allow the kids to write their wishes, hopes, or goals for the coming year on the lanterns using a marker. Light the lantern and help the kids release it into the night sky.