One Night, Two Holidays

What do you get when you mix St. Patrick's Day with the Azeri holiday of Novruz? Drunk fire jumping.

Let me explain.

Last night I met two of my girlfriends in downtown Baku. Our mission was to walk around town to check out the bonfires. On each Tuesday night for the month leading up to this holiday, bonfires are set in every little neighborhood. Azeris gather in groups and jump from one side to the other. Each jump is supposed to burn away your sins from the last year. Last Tuesday we arrived back from Georgia and as we drove into the city we passed about a dozen different fires with groups of families and friends gathered around. The effect these multiple little fires create is somewhere between celebratory and chaos.

Before we set off on our task, we swung by the local Irish pub to grab a pint in celebration of the other Tuesday holiday. Well, one pint turned into two into three. Much later in the night we set off to participate in fire jumping. Really, if you think about it the two holidays combine perfectly. Sin with a drink. Wash it away with a jump. Just as long as you make it to the other side without stumbling into the fire.