The last Tuesday night of the year is the Iranian fire festival Charshanbe Soori (Festive Wednesday). While the tradition has been practiced in different ways over centuries, jumping over the fire is the current centerpiece of the event, often mixed with fireworks and all-night singing and dancing. 

In Iran, the celebration can take various forms—from small fires built in front of the houses to loud spontaneous street parties with huge bonfires and lots and lots of firecrackers.

The Charshanbe Soori celebration at Huntington Beach is practiced somewhat differently, as firecrackers or bonfires are not allowed in public areas. But beach parties and fire-pit jumping (even though the small and contained fire gives people less of an adrenaline rush) are still quite popular.

.

For this Charshanbe Soori event, a section of the beach has been fenced off and converted into a space for people to dance, eat, and jump over fire. The DJs keep the crowd fired up for hours with the latest Iranian pop songs, turning the beach into an outdoor nightclub.

Second- and third-generation Iranian children are often among the main attendees of heritage events like Charshanbe Soori in Southern California, as parents try to familiarize them with Iranian folk culture and traditional practices.

The practice of Charshanbe Soori is now closely intertwined with digital technology. While dancing and jumping over the fire, many people record videos, take selfie, or live-stream the event across multiple social media platforms for their friends and followers.