Many people dress up as Hadji Firooz , who is a symbolic character of the New Year , just as Santa Claus is of Christmas . Hadji Firooz wears a red satin costume and has black makeup on his face . He sings and dances through the streets , telling everyone that the New Year is coming . Today , people see him in shopping malls , just as you can see Santa Claus y=in the United States or in Britain.