Chaharshanbe Suri and spoon-banging-Hamedan

Despite that the festival is observed generally in different parts of Iran, the rituals thereof differ in each area from other regions across the country.

Over time, the festival has undergone changes that have caused Chaharshanbe Suri to deviate from the original ritual.

One of the rituals performed in Chaharshanbe Suri is spoon-banging, which involves men or women, young or old, go to houses with their faces and heads covered and receive gifts from people in those houses without introducing themselves or making a sound and return to their own homes.

Each person’s face and head must be covered using a shawl or sheet so that they are not identified. While passing through the neighborhood, they make a noise by steadily banging with their spoons on a metal bowl or pot.

This noise informs the landlord that the spoon-banging people have come to the house and want a gift. The gift could be chocolates, dried nuts, toys for kids or money for the grownups.

This traditional festival was held on Wednesday afternoon in Hagmatana Hill, an archaeological mound in the city of Hamedan.