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Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that falls on the spring equinox, marks the exact moment when day and night are equal. It symbolizes balance, renewal, and the start of a new year.

But before Nowruz comes Chaharshanbe Suri, an ancient Iranian Festival of Fire celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz. This is one of the biggest times of year for the Iranian community worldwide. This year in particular is significant because it is marked with a newfound sense of hope, with the imminent fall of the Islamic regime occupying Iran, but it is also marked with sadness due to the loss of tens of thousands of lives since the latest uprising began in Iran in December 2025.

My compatriots,

On the eve of Charshanbeh Suri, the anti-Iranian regime of the Islamic Republic is once again attempting to prevent this ancient national ritual. But this year, we will mark Charshanbeh Suri with solemn national pride in memory of the brave souls who have… https://t.co/lgbyzJzoO2

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) March 15, 2026

This year, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called on Iranian citizens inside Iran to take to the streets—not to protest, but to celebrate their ancient tradition in the face of the darkness trying to extinguish their culture, history, and very lives.

Iranians in the diaspora were also asked to celebrate Chaharshanbe Suri in front of the embassies of the Islamic Republic in countries that still maintain diplomatic ties.

Thanks to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2012 decision to close Canada’s embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Canada no longer maintains formal diplomatic relations. As a result, Iranian Canadians in Toronto were able to celebrate freely, while still standing in solidarity with those for whom such celebrations remain an act of risky defiance.

To the international community and friends of Iran:

Tomorrow evening, March 17, my compatriots across Iran will celebrate Chaharshanbe Suri in their alleys and neighborhoods. Chaharshanbe Suri is our ancient fire festival of joy and renewal, a cherished tradition rooted in our…

— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) March 16, 2026

Every year, the Arya Nowruz Bazaar takes place in Richmond Hill, bringing the Iranian community together to celebrate Nowruz through art, music, and shared traditions, with this year marking its 25th year.

Featuring over 100 vendors and thousands of attendees, it serves as both a festive gathering and a vibrant platform for local businesses and cultural expression. This year, a gathering outside of the markets called “The Flame of Iranian Freedom” was celebrated on Tuesday, March 17, for Chaharshanbe Suri.

Many people gathered within Richmond Green Sports Centre to experience the yearly bazaar, accompanied by speeches from political allies, music, and chants for a free Iran.

Words of solidarity were given by various politicians, such as Conservative MP Vincent Neil Ho, whose powerful speech resonated with the crowd.

“In the last four years, they’ve only managed to deport one IRGC agent. That is completely unacceptable. It is time to kick them out," he said. The crowd replied with unified chants of “kick them out! Kick them out!”

“O Canada” and “Ey Iran” were played before the crowd gathered outside in the snow for music, dance, and the tradition of jumping over small fires. The practice holds deep symbolic meaning in Iranian culture, rooted in ancient Zoroastrian tradition.

MP @vincentneilho gave a speech at the Chaharshanbe Suri (an ancient Iranian fire festival held on the last Tuesday night before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year) celebration in Richmond Hill, where he highlighted the importance of removing IRGC officials from Canada.
The crowd… pic.twitter.com/wbfibzL8kJ

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) March 18, 2026

To get a better look at this tradition, I ventured from the large crowd and went to a smaller grassroots gathering at a park near Bathurst and Sheppard, where a smaller, very celebratory group was gathered around a fire to practice the ancient tradition.

Jumping over the fire with friends for Chahar-Shanbeh Soori. 🔥 🇮🇷

Light will always conquer darkness. pic.twitter.com/VgBThLWZ0L

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) March 18, 2026

I took this opportunity to speak with attendees and ask them what their New Year’s message was and their wishes for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives currently functioning in Canada.

The group was full of optimism for a free Iran in the near future, maybe even before the next celebration of Chaharshanbe Suri, but fearful for the future of Canada, saying IRGC agents must be kicked out of Canada.

It wasn’t too long before the police shut down the gathering and asked the fire department to extinguish the flames. One must be sure that the authorities’ time is well spent extinguishing the flames of an ancient celebration over fighting rising crime in the city or, you know, getting rid of agents linked to a terrorist entity in Canada.

One last Chahar-Shanbeh Soori fire jump before the cops shut celebrations down. 🔥 🇮🇷 pic.twitter.com/CSdGEh8xIH

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) March 18, 2026