Jump over fire.

A few days before the Spring equinox, we Persians jump over fire. This is Chaharshanbe Suri, a festival of fire and renewal. The tradition calls us to chant as we jump:

"زردی من از تو، سرخی تو از من"
"Take my yellow, give me your red."

It is a time of new beginnings. Every new beginning acknowledges and casts away what has been. We give away our sickness, our difficulties—the "yellow" that has kept us unwell—and we invite the "red," the fire and energy of a new year.

Today, I gathered with friends in Berkeley to celebrate this tradition. We waited in a long line to jump over fires. Tradition is powerful because it turns symbols into action. Tradition makes symbols real, felt in the body, lived in the moment.

May you, too, find yourself in a place where you can cast away the old and invite the new as we all welcome the spring. Happy Chaharshanbe Suri, and Happy Naw Ruz!