Iran warns citizens to skip fire-jumping festival due to war

Iranians have been warned against holding gatherings and celebrations to mark Chaharshanbe Suri, an annual festival of fire celebrating the last days of winter and the Persian calendar year, CNN reports.

Chaharshanbe Suri is an important and ancient tradition, held on the last Tuesday before spring and is marked by feasting and people jumping over small bonfires as an act of purification and renewal. In modern times, people celebrate with fireworks and firecrackers in high-energy street parties.

It’s a time of celebration, and leads up to Nowruz, the major holiday that marks the first day of spring and the Persian New Year.

But this year, Iranians have been told not to hold street gatherings because of the war, according to state media, citing a joint statement from the Iranian Red Crescent, fire service and emergency services.

The measure was taken to ensure public safety, to preserve emergency services resources, and to avoid putting pressure on the medical system, the statement reportedly said.

However, some observers have said the suppression of festivities this year is more about controlling dissent, and follows the regime’s brutal crackdown on widespread anti-government protests in January. Some provincial authorities have reportedly framed celebrations as a threat to national order and security, while other officials have claimed the “enemy” seeks to exploit gatherings to cause unrest, according to state media reports.

Iran’s police chief, Gen. Ahmadreza Radan, said Tuesday night would be a “decisive night for us all” and called on people to take to the streets and squares to prevent those who want to celebrate Charshanbe Suri from gathering, according to a video posted by the semi-official Fars news agency on Monday.

Exiled opposition activist and the son of Iran’s last Shah, Reza Pahlavi, said in a post on X that the regime has “issued threats of deadly force to suppress these peaceful celebrations.”