The Ceremony Called 'Foolishness'; A Celebration That Became a Battlefield

From an ancient celebration for exchanging the yellow of the face with the red of flames and dancing, to an annual event with several dead, many injured, and hundreds arrested. A celebration that is considered one of the most important and beloved ancient traditions of the country for millions of Iranians, is viewed by religious leaders as a vile and reprehensible ceremony; a tradition that Ayatollah Khamenei deems 'necessary for harm and corruption,' Ayatollah Javadi Amoli calls it 'against reason and law and a meaningless tradition,' and Ayatollah Motahari, one of the founders of the current regime, labels it 'foolishness' and 'stupidity.' Since the early years after the 1979 revolution, officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have actively and seriously sought to eradicate the Chaharshanbe Suri ceremony. However, year after year, as the government's efforts intensified, the sounds of firecrackers and homemade grenades grew louder. Seven firecrackers turned into sulfur and carbite; sulfur became arsenic, arsenic turned into fireworks and grenades, and... What caused Chaharshanbe Suri to transform from an ancient celebration into a 'phenomenon' of social and political struggle?