An Iranian woman holds a firecracker in Tehran on March 13, 2012 during the Wednesday Fire ritual, or Chaharshanbeh Soori, held on the last Wednesday eve before the Spring holiday of Noruz. The Iranian new year that begins on March 21 coincides with the first day of spring during which locals revive the Zoroastraian celebration of lighting a fire and dancing around the flame.
Noruz, which means "new day," marks the first day of spring and is commonly known as the Persian New Year. It is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bahrain, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, as well as among various other Iranian and Turkic peoples in Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, northwestern China, the Caucasus, the Crimea, and the Balkans.