Ancient · Esfand 28

Chaharshanbe Suri

/cha-har-SHAN-be SOO-ree/

چهارشنبه‌سوری

How to greet · Pure Persian

سوری‌تان خوش، آتشتان روشن

Soo-ri-YE-tân KHOSH, â-TASH-tân roo-SHAN

"May your Suri be joyful, your fire bright"

روشن (rowshan) — bright, luminous — is pure Persian. The fire of Chaharshanbe Suri is asked to take your paleness and give you its redness: زردی من از تو، سرخی تو از من.

Next Occurrence

March 19, 2027

Esfand 28, 1405 (Persian)

288

days away

Chaharshanbe Suri — 'Red Wednesday' or 'Fire Wednesday' — is celebrated on the last Wednesday before Nowruz. Bonfires are lit in the streets and people jump over the flames, reciting 'Sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to' — 'Give me your red color, take my yellow pallor.' The fire purifies and renews; you give the fire your illness and weakness, and receive its warmth and vitality in return.

Traditions

  • ◆Fire jumping: The central ritual — leaping over bonfires as an act of purification.
  • ◆Qashoq-zani: Children go door to door banging spoons on bowls (similar to trick-or-treating), asking for sweets.
  • ◆Fireworks: In modern Iran, fireworks have become part of the celebration.
  • ◆Fortune telling: Various divination customs are practiced on this night.

Did You Know?

Chaharshanbe Suri is believed to have Zoroastrian origins, where fire is a sacred element representing truth and purity. The ritual has survived over 2,500 years.

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