Iranians Burn Pictures of Leaders Ahmadinejad and Khamenei during a Traditional Fire Festival

Footage of the Iranian Wednesday Fire festival, posted on the Internet, shows images of Iranians burning pictures of Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Wednesday Fire festival (Charshanbeh Soori), celebrated annually on the eve of the last Wednesday before the Iranian New Year (Nowrooz), has its roots in pre-Islamic Zoroastrian traditions and has become a national festival in Iran. During the festivities, Iranians jump over bonfires and make “deals” with fire, asking for the fire’s redness, which symbolizes health, and in return, they give fire their yellowness, which symbolizes sickness.

Since 1979, the Iranian regime has tried to prevent the celebration of the Wednesday Fire Festival, claiming that it is rooted in pagan traditions. The ban has been unsuccessful, and the festival has become an occasion for public demonstrations against the regime.