Chaharshanbe Suri
chaharshanbeh suri charshanbeh suri persian چهارشنبه‌سوری romanized čahāršanbe suri lit scarlet wednesday iranian festival fire dance celebrated eve last wednesday year ancient zoroastrian origin first festivity nowruz iranian new year persian name festival consists čahāršanbe چهارشنبه persian word wednesday suri سوری two meaning may mean festive may also mean scarlet traditional persian current local dialect iran stem reddish theme fire name festival language include azerbaijani axır çərşənbə ardabil tabriz kurdish kola čowāršamba čowāršama koli kurdistan qara chuarshanba piranshahr isfahani persian čāršambe sorxi isfahan importance fire evident stone inscription achaemenid king first mantra rig veda praise fire chaharshanbe suri holi share root ancient aryan religion people collect brushwood open unrestricted outdoor area prior festival commencement sunset making one bonfire jump flame singing sorkhiye az man zardiye man az literally meaning let redness mine paleness local equivalent considered purification practice charshanbe suri includes custom similar trickortreating called qāšoqzani قاشق‌زنی literally translated spoonbanging observed people wearing disguise going doortodoor hit spoon plate bowl receive packaged snack another popular practice chaharshanbe suri fortune telling jug fāle kūza fāle bolūnī usually one wide mouth bolūnī everyone present put ornament—a ring bracelet earring—that wearing jug slip paper inscribed verse sentence containing auguries—the number slip must equal number people present—are put jug young child assigned reach jug pull one piece paper give learned literate man party child pull one ornament jug man read aloud verse piece paper owner ornament learns fortune many place including isfahan town central iran customary take fortune copy dīvān ḥāfeẓ rather piece paper reader chooses verse random fortune owner object taken pot isfahan small mirror box collyrium supposedly bring good luck added ornament jug similar custom connected first evening winter šabe čella see enjavī eg pp ii p burning rue seed persian اسفند romanized esfand tajik испанд romanized ispand frankincense kondor party eve chaharshanbe suri widespread practice region persia considered necessary precaution evil eye malevolent spirit devil genie cf fumigation avoid evil eye rue small amount salt thrown fire people recite rhyme though varying local dialect usually go something like “rue shrub rue seed esfandūne ie esfanddāna rue shrub thirtythree seed dūne rue shrub know let blast betarkūne ie betarakānad jealous eye” “the evil eye” eve chaharshanbe suri also šabe čella see eg enjavī p young man wish know chance particular girl fastens rope sash long piece cloth basket accompanied member family drop opening chimney girl’s home drape roof door holding one end rope hide feel slight tug reel basket find head girl’s family put tied rope object judge whether family look favor sometimes put present girl basket—an apple pomegranate egg village product girl take present basket sign acceptance village ritual performed merely mean fortune telling popular mainly northern region iran azerbaijan āstārā gīlān zanjān qazvīn sāva āštīān persian tradition hold eating special mix sweet sour nut fruit called ajeel e chaharshanbe suri chaharshanbe suri make wish come true mixture nut dried fruit pistachio almond chickpea raisin festival origin ancient iranian ritual ancient iranian celebrated festival frawardigan last five day year honor spirit dead today referred farvardinegan believed spirit dead would come reunion seven holy immortal aməša spənta honored bidden formal ritual farewell dawn new year festival also coincided festival celebrating creation fire human time sasanian empire festival divided two distinct pentad known lesser greater panje belief gradually developed lesser panje belonged soul child died without sin greater panje soul custom vogue tehran seek intercession socalled pearl cannon tupe morvārid occasion chaharshanbe suri heavy gun cast foundryman ismāil isfahāni reign fathali shah qajar dynasty became focus many popular myth stood arg square میدان ارگ meydāne arg people tehran used flock occasion charshanbe suri spinster childless unhappy wife climbed sat barrel crawled mother even made illbehaved troublesome child pas belief would cure naughtiness custom died pearl cannon moved army officer club also another pearl cannon tabriz girl woman used fasten dakhils piece paper cloth inscribed wish prayer barrel charshanbe suri time cannon used sanctuary political nonpolitical fugitive immune arrest protest family problem sadegh hedayat iranian writer prose fiction short story published book tupe morvārid reference cannon criticizes old belief iranian folklore book also mention origin pearl cannon today pearl cannon placed opening building number ministry foreign affair th tir avenue ministry cultural heritage handicraft tourism still talk ministry remove gun museum stockholm sweden eldfesten annual festival one largest chaharshanbe suri concert festival world broadcast nationally sverige television internationally manoto family customarily enjoy snack evening supper night end festivity usual snack nut dried fruit ājīl including salted hazelnut pistachio almond prune apricot raisin supper depends available local ingredient kermān shirāz main dish usually polow pasta soup longer pasta strand better chance long life member family māzandarān gorgān gīlān tehran sabzīpolow fish often eaten qazvīn garmsār sabzīpolow made wild herb desert khorasan several kind polow lentil pasta herb vetch traditionally served prior change introduced iranian calendar chaharshanbe suri yazidi festival çarşema sor overlapped date two seem connected although yazidi claim name çarşema sor recent one festival celebrated name dedicated peacock angel fālgūsh yaldā night kupala night trndez jaanipäev atar holika dahan easter fire bonfire night chaharshanbe suri encyclopædia iranica