آتش نزد ایرانیان (پارسیان) نهاد روشنی، پاکی، سازندگی و نیرومندی است. مجموعة آئین های نوروزی از جشن چهارشنبه سوری آغاز شده و با اجرای مراسم سیزده بدر پایان می پذیرد. جشن چهارشنبه سوری در آخر هر سال برپا می شود و پایان فصل سرما که با بیماری، گرسنگی و همچنین مرگ (در ایران باستان) همراه بوده است را نوید می دهد.

آریائی ها با آتش افروختن و سپاس از آتش که در زمستان سخت، همیار آنان در مقابله با سرما، بیماری و گرسنگی بوده است، رسیدن بهار، فصل روئیدن و دوباره زیستن طبیعت، فصل طراوت و شادابی جانداران را نوید می دهند. جشن چهارشنبه سوری ، جشن دوباره آفریدن جهان و انسان است.

با توجه به دلایل فوق، آریائیان بر آتش ارج می نهادند و آن را بزرگ ترین نماد قدرت و وجود اهورا خدای ایرانزمین می دانستند.

The night before the last Wednesday of the year is celebrated by the Iranian people as Chahârshanbe Sûrî, meaning red wednesday, the Iranian festival of fire. This festival is the celebration of the light (the good) winning over the darkness (the bad); the symbolism behind the rituals are all rooted back to Zoroastrian times, over 2500 years ago.

The Festival of "Chaharshanbeh Suri" is Persian and celebrated by Persians for over 2500 years. It is not an Islamic tradition nor is it celebrated by any of the Arab tribes or people group. Charshanbeh Suri is neither a religeous ceremony nor a political one, it is a celebration of ending a dark and cold season - "Winter" and starting a new brighter and more hopeful one - "Spring".

Serving different kinds of pastry and nuts known as Ajīl-e Moshkel-Goshā (lit. The problem-solving nuts) is the Chahārshanbe Sūrī way of giving thanks for the previous year's health and happiness, while exchanging any remaining paleness and evil for the warmth and vibrancy of the fire.

According to tradition, the living are visited by the spirit of their ancestors on the last days of the year, and many children wrap themselves in shrouds, symbolically re-enacting the visits. They also run through the streets banging on pots and pans with spoons and knocking on doors to ask for treats. The ritual is called qashogh-zany (spoon beating) and symbolizes the beating out of the last unlucky Wednesday of the year.

There are also several other traditions on this night, including the rituals of Kūze Shekastan, the breaking of earthen jars which symbolically hold ones bad fortune; the ritual of Fal-Gûsh, or inferring one's future from the conversations of those passing by; and the ritual of Gereh-goshā’ī, making a knot in the corner of a handkerchief or garment and asking the first passerby to unravel it in order to remove ones misfortune.

With the help of fire and light symbols of good, we hope to see our way through this unlucky night - the end of the year- to the arrival of springs longer days. Traditionally, it is believed that the living were visited by the spirits of their ancestors on the last day of the year. Many people specially children, wrap themselves in shrouds symbolically reenacting the visits. By the light of the bonfire, they run through the streets banging on pots and pans with spoons called Gashog-Zani to beat out the last unlucky Wednesday of the year, while they knock on doors to ask for treats. Indeed, Halloween is a Celtic variation of this night.

Chahārshanbe-Sūri (Persian: چهارشنبه‌سوری), pronounced Chārshanbe-Sūri (Persian: چارشنبه‌سوری) is the ancient Iranian festival dating at least back to 1700 BCE of the early Zoroastrian era.[1] The festival of fire is a prelude to the ancient Norouz festival, which marks the arrival of spring and revival of nature. Chahrshanbeh Suri, is celebrated the last Tuesday night of the year. The word Chahar Shanbeh means Wednesday and Suri is red. The bon fires are lit at the sunset and the idea is to not let the sun set. Bon fires are lit to keep the sun alive till early hours of the morning.[2] The celebration usually starts in the evening. On this occasion people make bon-fires on the streets and jump over them. The young shoot lots of fireworks before and during Chaharshanbe Suri (literally: Feast Wednesday).

The tradition includes people going into the streets and alleys to make fires, and jump over them while singing the traditional song Sorkhi-ye to az man; Zardi-ye man az to. The literal translation is, Your fiery red color is mine, and my sickly yellow paleness is yours. This is a purification rite and 'suri' itself means red and fiery.[3] Loosely translated, this means you want the fire to take your paleness, sickness, and problems and in turn give you redness, warmth,and energy. There is no religious significance attached to Chahar Shanbeh Suri and it serves as a cultural festival for all Iranian Jews, Muslems, Armenians, Turks and Zoroastrians alike. Indeed this celebration, in particular the significant role of fire, is likely to hail from Zoroastrianism. In addition another tradition of this day is to make a special Ajeel 'Mixed nuts and berries'. People wear disquise and chadors and go door to door knocking on doors. Receiving of the Ajeel is customary, as is receiving of a bucket of water. Iranians celebrated the last 10 days of the year in their annual obligation feast of all souls, Hamaspathmaedaya (Farvardigan or popularly Forodigan). They believed Faravahar, the guardian angels for humans and also the spirits of dead would come back for reunion. These spirits were entertained as honored guests in their old homes, and were bidden a formal ritual farewell at the dawn of the New Year. The ten-day festival also coincided with festivals celebrating the creation of fire and humans. In Sassanid period the festival was divided into two distinct pentads, known as the lesser and the greater Pentad, or Panji as it is called today. Gradually the belief developed that the 'Lesser Panji' belonged to the souls of children and those who died without sin, whereas 'Greater Panji' was truly for all souls.

On the eve of the last Wednesday of each year, Iranians celebrate "Chahar Shanbeh Suri" - The Red Wednesday, The Festival of Fire. On this occasion people make bon-fires on the streets and jump over them. The streets come alive with children and people as families spill out of their homes and greet each other. The young use a lot of firework before and during the Chaharshanbe Suri.

In order to make wishes come true, it is customary to prepare special foods and distribute them on this night. Noodle Soup and mixture of seven dried nuts and fruits, pistachios, roasted chic peas, almond, hazelnuts, figs, apricots, and raisins.

Sorkhie to az man, Zardieh man az to, literally means your redness (health) is mine, my paleness (pain) is yours. This phrase is whispered in Chaharshanbeh Soori, ancient purification ritual, while people jump over the fire.

Another tradition practice in Chahar-Shanbeh Soori is that people, most often children and young adults, wear strange dresses and sometimes wrap themselves up in sheets to symbolize the shrouds of the dead and head go to the street with pots and pans to create a cacophony you will never forget. As the saying goes, they could wake the dead! And that's pretty much the intention; this ancient ritual is said to ward off evil spirits. Then the kids go door to door to receive Chaharshanbeh Soori nuts, chocolates, etc.

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