Persian Fire ritual before spring in De Koer Ghent
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▻ Fire Festival
ⓘ https://dekoer.be/programma/firefeest-feest/
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“When the sun sets, we light the fire!”
Fire Festival is an Iranian festival celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz (March 21, the Iranian New Year). On this evening, we celebrate the end of the dark days and offer wishes for a bright and healthy spring.
8:00 PM – We begin by welcoming guests and inviting them to join the circle. This is followed by a fire dance with live music, inspired by ancient Iranian mythologies. After the dance performance, we light the fire to begin the ceremony. Guests can sit around the fire, share stories, or jump over it, as is traditional. Guests can write down both negative and positive events from the past year on a piece of paper, as well as their wishes for the new year. Negative wishes can be thrown into the fire, while positive wishes are kept as a sign of a new beginning.
Before the festival begins, we gather brushwood. At sunset, after building one or more bonfires, we jump over the flames and chant "sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to," which literally means "let your redness be mine, my pallor be yours," or a local equivalent. This practice is considered a purification.
Free admission, everyone is welcome!
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Discover the full program in De Koer at www.dekoer.be