We did some fire-jumping last night. It’s part of the Persian New Year which happens this coming Saturday. It’s customary for Persians to jump over fire seven times to cleanse themselves of the old year and get ready for the new year. But Payam tells me that most Persians just do it because it’s fun.

And it totally is! Yes, I did it too. At first I was afraid. What if I didn’t make it? What if I slipped or didn’t quite make it to the other side? Would I go up in flames or walk away with charred clothing? Payam just shook his head at my silliness. As far as he knows, no one has ever fallen into the fire on Chaharshambeh Suri (the fire jumping ceremony).

I learned about this custom last year and I really wanted to do it. I love bonfires at the beach and it seemed like the perfect festivity for me but with school night bedtimes and the rush of life we somehow missed it. So this year we planned ahead and had a quick dinner nearby so we could make it in time for sunset.

Once we got there I realized I should have packed a picnic and had dinner right there on the beach! It would have been so cozy to pull up a chair by the fire, meet some new friends and enjoy a dinner al fresco, or at least a thermos of coffee or hot chocolate and marshmallows! What was I thinking? Obviously I wasn’t. But at least we made it there this year and now I can plan for next year!