Chaharshanbe Suri, or Red Wednesday, is a Persian celebration with rituals to rid the bad luck from the past year – something we all could use. Persians around the world will counteract their ill will by jumping over fire and eating wish-granting nuts.
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If you’ve read my introduction to Nowruz, or Persian New Year, you’ll know that March is an important month in the Persian calendar. Preparations for Nowruz start early in March, leading up to the celebrations themselves. And one of the most notable days before Nowruz is Chaharshanbe Suri, a Persian Fire Festival.
What is Chaharshanbe Suri? An Introduction to the Persian Fire Festival
Chaharshanbe Suri means ‘Red Wednesday’ and is the last Wednesday before Nowruz. This day cleanses the bad luck from the previous year. Furthermore, the festivities are aimed to offset the bad luck, and usher in the New Year.
The exact origins of this festival have been lost in the mists of time. However, unlike Nowruz, it doesn’t appear to have come from the Zoroastrians, who consider jumping over fires bad behavior. But it has been celebrated in Persia for hundreds of years.
Lastly, it is linked with the Persian belief that the spirits of the dead reappear in the lead up to Nowruz. You could think of it as the rough equivalent of Halloween.
When is Chaharshanbe Suri?
The exact date of Chaharshanbe Suri depends on the date of the Spring Equinox, so it changes from year to year. It is always the last Wednesday before Nowruz, which is held on the Spring Equinox itself. This usually falls between March 19th and 22nd.
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Date of Chaharshanbe Suri 2021
This year, Chaharshanbe Suri falls on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (which is also St Patrick’s day). How lucky 😉
‘Red Wednesday’ Traditions
Chaharshanbe Suri is all about cleansing and readying yourself for the New Year. In Persian tradition, fire is a symbol of purification, making fire a vital component of the celebrations.
The festivities start the evening before, on the Tuesday. Persians gather together outdoors and light bonfires. They’ll also set off fireworks.
Fire Jumping
On the eve of Chaharshande Suri, just as it gets dark (and before the flames grow too high), people take it in turns to jump over the fires. As they do, they chant ‘sorkhie tu az man, zardieh man az tu’, which translates to ‘you give me your fiery red color and I give you my yellow sick pallor’. The red color represents the health, warmth, and power of the fire.
Translation: You give me your fiery red color, and I give you my yellow sick pallor.
sorkhie tu az man, zardieh man az tu
This ritual aims to purify the jumper, taking away the sickness and difficulties of the past year, so they can start afresh, renewed, and cleansed.
Gashogh Zani: Spoon-Banging
As well as jumping over fires and lighting fireworks, Chaharshanbe Suri includes a form of trick-or-treating called Gashogh Zani, or ‘spoon-banging’.
Both children and adults will wrap themselves up, hiding their faces. They run through the streets, banging pots and pans with spoons. They’ll visit people’s houses, making noise outside the door to get the homeowners to gift them with sweets, nuts, and traditional Charshanbe Suri dishes.
Ajeel e Chahar shanbeh Suri: Wish-Granting Nuts
These treats will often include a special mix of sweet and sour nuts, called Ajeel e Chahar Shanbeh Suri. It is a mixture of nuts and dried fruits, such as pistachios, almonds, chickpeas, and raisins.
Persian tradition holds that eating these nuts on Chaharshanbe Suri makes wishes come true.
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How-To Make Ajeel e Cheharshanbe Suri: Wish-granting fruit and nuts
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10 min
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Persian
Description
Persian legend holds that eating Ajeel e Chahar Shanbeh Suri, a mixture of fruits and nuts on Chaharshanbe Suri makes wishes come true.
Ingredients
- 16 oz nuts and seeds of choice: I use pistachios, walnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds
- 8 oz dried fruits of choice: I use dried mulberries, dried apricots, dried oranges, dried figs, medjol dates and raisins
Instructions
- Using a plater or bowl, place the fruits and nuts in a design of choice or simply mix them all together.
- Make a wish and enjoy!
Notes
Check out my instagram reel for a quick tutorial on drying your own fruit such as dried blood oranges.
Keywords: Persian, Trail Mix, Chaharshanbe Suri, Ajeel e Chaharshanbe Suri, Charshanbe Suri, Red Wednesday, Dried fruit and nut mix, Dried fruit and nut platter,
Traditional Chaharshanbe Suri Dishes
As well as the Ajeel e Chahar Shanbeh Suri mix of nuts and fruit, Persians typically eat a thick noodle soup called ash on Charshanbe Suri.
There are a few different variations of this traditional soup, depending on the region. It is a Winter dish – a thick and comforting bowl that warms the stomach after an evening spent outdoors around the bonfire.
The noodles, ‘reshteh’ in Farsi, are a symbol of good luck and fortune for the year ahead. It’s tradition for Persians eat the soup communally around the fires. Furthermore, it is offeredto Gashogh Zani participants as they roam from home to home.
As well as noodles, the soup typically includes greens and beans, such as chickpeas and lentils. It is best prepared a day in advance, allowing the flavors to develop. See my recipe below.
Ash Reshte – Herbed Noodle Soup for Good Fortune
The traditional Persian comfort food, ash reshteh, is a symbol of good luck. Whether lucky or not, the dish is delicious and full of healthy ingredients to keep you nourished. Vegetarian. Gluten Free.
If you’d like to learn more about the traditional Persian New Year celebrations, you can find my post on Nowruz here. I’m also going to be sharing more details about Sizdah-Bedar, the last day of Persian New Year.
References
Let’s Visit Persia, Chaharshanbe Suri
Iran Chamber Society, Festival of Fire or “Chahar Shanbeh Soori”
Family Spice, Ajeel and Chahr-Shanbeh Souri
My Persian Kitchen, Asheh Reshteh ~ Persian Noodle Soup
