Iran: youth Real Vote, Enthusiastic Practice of Fire Festival

This article is originally published on Area Info.

Many years ago, back in third grade I read a short story titled “The Last Lesson” from a story collection titled “Last Monday” by a French Author who I do not recall the name. Whole book is about the author’s first hand experience living under Nazis role during the German invasion of France as a kid. “The Last Lesson” describes in details the last French class before the enforcement of Nazi law of ban on teaching French in French schools. This young man described with honesty and in moving words, his emotions, his sorrow and his chagrin for not being able to freely use his mother tongue and praise his national culture. After close to four decades I can still remember how I was affected and cried as I was reading the story.

Iran: Some more about Fire Festival in our homeland

"Zardie man az to, sorkhie to az man,"

"Zardie man az to, sorkhie to az man," = "May my sickly paleness be yours and your red glow be mine."

Iranians celebrating end-of-the-year Fire Festivities

Despite all hardships, the Iranian people are always full of hope and celebrating the last Tuesday night of their calendar year that marks the beginning of spring in late March every year. This is a celebration of traditional Iranian customs, jumping over fires, ridding themselves of all the “bads” of the passing year to the fire, and taking in all the “goods” from the fire for the upcoming year. This is a sign of change, as the flames of fire are signals of uprisings and revolt against darkness, the cold and all “bads” in the depth of night.