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Iranians celebrate festival of fire
This version of Iranians Celebrate Festival Fire Flna430075 - Breaking News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
In this Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 photo, Ghazaleh Miramini, left, practices guitar with her music teacher Amir Salami at a music school in Tehran, Iran. In the 1980s, Iran's music almost vanished. Music schools went into full recession, police or militias stopped cars to check what passengers were listening to and broke tapes playing pre-revolutionary singers, and clerical institutions even banned music as un-Islamic. But Iran's social life has dramatically changed a decade later, with a landslide victory of former President Mohammad Khatami with relaxing some of rigid restrictions on cultural and social activities, including bans on music bands, but Iran has tightened censorship of books, films, and music since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power. (AP Photo)STR / AP
An Iranian woman holds a firecracker in Tehran on March 13, 2012 during the Wednesday Fire ritual, or Chaharshanbeh Soori, held on the last Wednesday eve before the Spring holiday of Noruz. The Iranian new year that begins on March 21 coincides with the first day of spring during which locals revive the Zoroastraian celebration of lighting a fire and dancing around the flame. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)ATTA KENARE / AFP - Getty Images
Joyful Iranian men dance around a firework, in the Pardisan Park in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 13, 2012, during Chaharshanbe Souri, or Wednesday Feast, an ancient Festival of Fire, on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year. Iranians jump over burning bonfires while throwing firecrackers, celebrate arrival of the spring which coincides with Iranian new year, or Nowruz. Setting off firecrackers has turned into careless massive explosions in the recent years, which leaves many wounded every year, prompting strong reactions by police. The festival, came from pre-Islamic Zoroastrianism era, has been discouraged by conservative Islamist rulers after 1979 Islamic Revolution, but without any success. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Vahid Salemi / AP
An Iranian woman jumps over a bonfire, in the Pardisan Park in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 13, 2012, during Chaharshanbe Souri, or Wednesday Feast, an ancient Festival of Fire, on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year. Iranians jump over burning bonfires while throwing firecrackers, celebrate arrival of the spring which coincides with Iranian new year, or Nowruz. Setting off firecrackers has turned into careless massive explosions in the recent years, which leaves many wounded every year, prompting strong reactions by police. The festival, came from pre-Islamic Zoroastrianism era, has been discouraged by conservative Islamist rulers after 1979 Islamic Revolution, but without any success. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Vahid Salemi / AP
In this Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 photo, Ghazaleh Miramini, left, practices guitar with her music teacher Amir Salami at a music school in Tehran, Iran. In the 1980s, Iran's music almost vanished. Music schools went into full recession, police or militias stopped cars to check what passengers were listening to and broke tapes playing pre-revolutionary singers, and clerical institutions even banned music as un-Islamic. But Iran's social life has dramatically changed a decade later, with a landslide victory of former President Mohammad Khatami with relaxing some of rigid restrictions on cultural and social activities, including bans on music bands, but Iran has tightened censorship of books, films, and music since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power. (AP Photo)STR / AP
Chaharshanbe Soori is the ancient Festival of Fire celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian year. Iranians jump over burning bonfires while throwing firecrackers to celebrate arrival of spring and the upcoming holiday of Nowruz.
The origin of the festival comes from pre-Islamic Zoroastrianism era and has been discouraged by conservative Islamist rulers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
