Over The Fire!

Annual Charshanbeh Souri Celebration at Berkeley's Persian Center. Photo taken by Jahanshah Javid shows the 2008 Celebrations.

Tomorrow will be the last Tuesday of the Iranian calendar. As tradition has it, at sunset friends, families, and neighborhoods will gather to jump over open fires to throw away their sadness and ills, starting a New Year full of health and joy. As is our little tradition, my friends and family will go to Berkeley Persian Center's annual Charshanbeh Souri celebration. I am so excited to be seeing my friends there. The number of people showing up to the celebration has been growing over the years. The whole block of Durant Avenue between Shattuck and Milvia is closed to traffic and under the careful eyes of Berkeley Police and Fire Department, open fires are set up for the 3,000+ people, Iranians and Americans, who show up to celebrate. I'm going to be there, where standing on the few square centimeters I can find on the pavement, I'll wait to see my friends and family go by! If you are in this area, don't miss this fabulous opportunity to come and jump over the fire, eat Persian food, and dance the night away with hundreds of others.

Happy Charshanbeh Souri and I hope the following fire wish comes true for all of you: Zardi e man az to, Sorkhi e to az man!