Part of the complexity that is Iran is the fact that, at its core, Iran is Persian with Islamic overlays. Many Iranian people celebrate festivals and organize their psychic clocks around practices as old as Iran's 3000 year old Zoroastrian roots. Islam was grafted onto that rootstock 1300 years ago.
In a small sign that the now-dominant Islamic government is relaxing its attitudes toward ancient Persian customs, a large number of Iranians celebrated Sadeh, the ancient Zoroastrian Fire Festival.
What is Sadeh?
Sadeh is a mid-winter celebration observed by Iranians from the ancient time. It includes preparing a large bonfire and is therefore also known as Adur-Jashan (Feast of fire). The bonfire is to drive back the winter in defiance of Ahriman.
Sadeh, meaning "hundred," is a way to "honour the creation of fire and defeat the forces of frost and cold."
Two different days were observed for its veneration. One celebration marked the hundredth day before the religious Noruz on the first day of the Farvardin, or March 21. (religious Noruz is different from the seasonal spring Noruz). The other one was the hundredth day after Ayathrima (one of the six feasts of obligation) held to be the beginning of winter. This day coincides with 10th of Bahman (January 30) in the present calendar. It is not clear why there are two Sadeh festivals and why different regions have had different dates. Many Zoroastrian holy days were and are celebrated twice; this is caused by the calendar reform in the 3rd century CE.
Sadeh and NouRooz roughly correspond to the Christian Christmas-Lent-Easter cycle. In several cities and villages in Iran, Sadeh celebrations took place this past weekend.
Incidentally, Congressman Mike Honda's year-long effort has paid off, and Norooz Resolution Passes House Committee
Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) introduced the Norooz Resolution last spring, stating Norooz embodies the principle that each individual's thinking, speaking, and conduct should always be virtuous. It promotes compassion for our fellow human beings irrespective of ethnicity or religion."
Honda is correct:
Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion predating Christianity and Islam and is believed to have influenced those faiths — and Judaism as well — being one of the first religions with a strong notion of good and evil.
Zoroastrians believe they must fight evil through good deeds, words and thoughts, including charity and service. Fire plays a central role in worship as a symbol of truth and the spirit of God. Prayer is often performed in front of a fire, and consecrated fires are kept perpetually burning in major temples.
The religion was founded in ancient Persia about 3,000 years ago, according to some scholarly estimates, by Zarathustra, or Zoroaster, whom the faith considers a prophet.
Part of the Sadeh festival preparations incorporate a rite of passage for young Iranians, who are tasked to gather firewood for the bonfire. Since firewood is extremely scarce in Iran's terrain, finding enough brush, twigs, logs to contribute to the bonfire requires diligence, resourcefulness, and cooperation.
Iran's predominant Muslim population joined in the Sadeh celebration, and even a police band participated.
"I'm proud of Sadeh because it is part of Iran's cultural heritage," said Mohammed Saleh Khalili, a Muslim Iranian who traveled from Meibod, a town in central Iran, to join the celebrations. "Once it was a national festival and for centuries it has been restricted to Zoroastrians but there is no reason why Muslim Iranians shouldn't celebrate the event."
"It appears that Sadeh once again will be a real national festival in Iran," said Ebrahim Rezaei, also a Muslim.
Organizers held the festival outdoors this year because of the massive amount of interest from Muslims in the celebrations.
"We are proud of inheriting this great heritage from our ancestors. Celebrating Sadeh is celebrating the greatness of our homeland," Ardeshir Kameh, a local Zoroastrian leader, told the cheering crowd.
The photos of Sadeh are glorious, and readers are urged to click the link and feel the warmth of the Iranian people and of their bonfires as they celebrate an ancient Persian tradition.