Iranians Mark Their New Year With Tradition

Thousands gathered Tuesday evening at an Orange County beach to mark the Iranian new year with a ceremony dating back centuries.

Chaharshanbeh Souri, literally the “Wednesday Celebration,” takes place on the last Tuesday night of the Iranian year, which changes over with the spring equinox: March 20 this year.

The annual celebration held at Corona Del Mar draws thousands of people from San Diego to the San Fernando Valley. At sunset, small fires are lit, and people of all ages jump over the flames, reciting a Persian verse that translates to: “Your redness [health] to me, my yellowness [sickness] to you.” Jumping over the fire, according to tradition, rids one of illness and misfortune.

The celebration has its roots in the Zoroastrian religion practiced in Iran for almost 3,000 years. But the theocracy running the country since 1979 has denounced Chaharshanbeh Souri as un-Islamic. Nonetheless, popular sentiment prevailed, and in recent years, Iran’s Interior Ministry has tacitly allowed the celebration to take place, issuing fire safety guidelines a few days beforehand.