Chaharshanbe Suri
The Persian custom of jumping over fires on the last Wednesday evening before Nowruz.
Also: fire jumping
Chaharshanbe Suri is the festival of fire held on the eve of the last Wednesday before the Persian new year. People light small bonfires in the street and jump over them, singing "give me your beautiful red colour and take back my sickly yellow", asking the fire to take away sickness and give back warmth and health. The festival also involves noisemaking, small fireworks, and in some places a custom of breaking an old pot. The roots are in Zoroastrian traditions of fire and light. Although it has sometimes been controversial, millions of Iranians take part, and the custom is also kept in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Region: Central Asia and the Caucasus