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Chahar Shanbeh Souri @ The Persian Center in Berkeley

NARRATIVE
A few years ago before sleepover with Houman, Michelle and I pestered him about No Rooz and all the festivities that went along with the celebration of the Persian New Year.

As members of a multi-culti friendship tribe we begin the New Years season on December 31st and then continue on through March until New Years has exhausted itself into Springtime.

Houman mentioned fire jumping. I was intrigued and since I hadn't been to Burning Man in a few years, I was called to the fires!

CONTACT INFORMATION

The Persian Center
2029 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
www.persiancenter.org

Phone: (510) 848-0264

HOURS
Tuesday before Vernal Equinox, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

PRICE RANGE
Inexpensive. Traditional Persian cuisine is sold to support the event and the center.

SUMMARY
This Zorastrian custom dates back to 1300 B.C. It celebrates one of the last evenings of the year and is symbolized by fire so that people can see their way into the new year.

Bonfires are lit because they are purifying and can light our way into the new year.

In Berkeley Durant is lined with people of all ages talking, laughing, dancing, wishing greetings upon each other, doing the traditional Persian double-cheeked kisses hello and good-bye.

Downtown Berkeley is a great venue for the event. Behind Barnes and Noble what is normally a quiet side-street is blocked off and filled with Persian music and flooded with lights. Two sets of bonfires are lit to keep the celebration moving.

The DJ and MC are pounding out Persian favourites and new remixes.

Parents jump with their young ones who look wary of going near the flames. Sweethearts jump in tandem. Frat boys try to outleap one another in side-by-side races.

As the spring crisp air fills your lungs, you look up past the buildings into the deep blue night sky. The moon is lit and the stars begin to speckle the sky.

All the while you're bundled in your coat, talking with your friends, and rehearsing the Persian phrase while waiting your turn to jump the bonfires:

(Sorkhi-e to az man) Give me your beautiful red colour
(Zardi-e man az to) And take back my sickly pallor!

Houman wrote it down for us the first year we went. Last year he sent us a reminder and the group of us split between pronouncing it in English and pronouncing it in Persian.

Afterwards we all met up at a Chinese restaurant to finish out the evening's festivities. More laughter, more stories. More good times.

Don't let the year slip without celebrating another new beginning. Jump the fires on Tuesday night to ring in No Rooz!

SERVICE
Volunteers are very helpful with guiding newbies to the fire-jumping lines. The atmosphere is FESTIVE! Party down, Persian-stylie!

REST ROOMS
Port-o-potties by the fire-jumping area or local eateries and bars if you plan ahead.

SUGGESTION?
Pronunciation guides for the Persian-challenged.

Labels: Berkeley, Bonfires, Chahar Shanbeh Souri, Persian Center, Street festival, Vernal Equinox

posted by wrki @ 5:52 PM