Iranians welcome the arrival of spring with a centuries-old custom called Chaharshanbeh-Suri, which is celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before the Iranian New Year holidays.
A week before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, family members, and friends gather by bunches of open fires and keep them lit till dawn.
The annual festival dates back 2,500 years and has its roots in pre-Islamic Persia.
Ancient Iranians marked Chaharshanbeh-Suri in a bid to ward off all the misfortunes and bad omens with hopes that their wishes would come true.
This year, the Iranian people marked the ancient festival amid Israeli and American bombardments. Despite heavy attacks by the American and Israeli terrorists, Iranians gathered in the streets nationwide to express that they are not afraid of the attacks and will support their government at any cost.
MNA