Nowruz is one of the most important Persian holidays and coincides with the vernal equinox and the first day of spring. In the days leading up to Nowruz, Chahārshanbe Sūrī (Fire Wednesday) is celebrated by jumping over bonfires, a ritual that marks the transition into the new year, casting off the past year’s hardships and welcoming light and health. Fire symbolizes purification and cleansing in Persian tradition, and is often vividly depicted in miniature painting, as in this scene. 📕 ‘The Fire Ordeal of Siyāvush,’ Folio 104v from the Shāhnāmah (‘Book of Kings’) of Firdawsī, attributed to Shiraz, Iran, copied for “Muḥammad Sharīf” by Muḥammad ‘Alī, in 1023/1614.