With Bonfires, Hope, Iran's Minority Zoroastrians Mark Sadeh Holiday - Voice of America - VOA News

TEHRAN, Iran — 

Lighting fires that brightened the night sky, followers of Iran's minority Zoroastrian religion marked the Sadeh festival in several cities Tuesday, celebrating the end of the coldest winter days.

Every year on January 30, Zoroastrians gather after sunset to celebrate the 50 days and 50 nights remaining until spring. Sadah, which means "the 100," is an ancient feast from when the religion was the dominant faith in the powerful Persian empire, which collapsed after the Arab invasion in the 7th century.

On the southwestern outskirts of Tehran, several Zoroastrian priests and priestesses, dressed in white from head-to-toe to symbolize purity, led young followers to light a giant bonfire in a joyful ceremony.

Around the fire, people listened to bands and theological lectures as they milled about while eating and celebrating.

In a rare move, the Islamic Republic's air force band played the national anthem, among other tunes, to the excitement of the attendees.

A Zoroastrian youth carries a torch during the Sadeh festival on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 30, 2024. Hundreds of Zoroastrian minorities gathered after sunset to mark their ancient feast.
A Zoroastrian youth carries a torch during the Sadeh festival on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 30, 2024. Hundreds of Zoroastrian minorities gathered after sunset to mark their ancient feast.

Iran's 85 million population is mostly Shiite Muslim. The country has been ruled by hardline clerics who preach a strict version of Islam since the 1979 Islamic revolution. They discourage people from following pre-Islamic feasts and traditions.

Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion that predates Christianity and Islam. It was founded 3,800 years ago by the prophet Zoroaster. It stresses good deeds, and fire plays a central role in worship as a symbol of truth and the spirit of God. Zoroastrians stress they are not fire worshippers but see fire as a symbol of righteousness.

Alongside other minorities, including Christians and Jews, they have one representative in parliament, Esfandiar Ekhtiari.

During Tuesday's ceremny, Ekhtiari said the celebration belongs to everyone and is a symbol of "felicity, respect to humanity and nature as well as human beings."

In 2023, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognized Sadeh for its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from Iran and Tajikistan.

Although they have common elements, such as lighting fire, the Sadeh festival is different from Nowruz, which marks the Persian new year.

Adblock test (Why?)



from "holiday" - Google News https://ift.tt/b4cXxsa
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

China to resume issuing passports, visas for travel abroad despite ... - Global News

Image
China says it will resume issuing passports for tourism in another big step away from anti-virus controls that isolated the country for almost three years, setting up a potential flood of Chinese going abroad for next month’s Lunar New Year holiday. The announcement Tuesday adds to abrupt changes that are rolling back some of the world’s strictest anti-virus controls as President Xi Jinping’s government tries to reverse an economic slump. Rules that confined millions of people to their homes kept China’s infection rate low but fueled public frustration and crushed economic growth. Read more: Beijing, Shanghai residents back to work as COVID outbreak continues in China Read More Beijing, Shanghai residents back to work as COVID outbreak continues in China The latest decision could send free-spending Chinese tourists to revenue-starved destinations in Asia and Europe for Lunar New Year, which begins Jan. 22 and usually is the country’s busiest travel season. But it al
Read more

What’s open, closed on the Civic Holiday in Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara Region - Global News

Image
Monday will be a day off for many Ontarians as the province celebrates a civic holiday on the first weekend of August 2022. The August long weekend is expected to bring daytime temperatures in the high 20s throughout the three days. Read more: ‘A long time coming’: Parents book COVID vaccines for little kids in Ontario Here’s a list of some common businesses and services that will be open and closed on the civic holiday: Administrative offices: Offices are closed on Monday. Licensing and bylaw services: Licensing and bylaw phone queue line will be closed on Monday. Service will resume on Tuesday. Green bin, garbage and recycling: No collection on Monday. Pickup will be one day later if it falls on or after the holiday. The city says all materials must be at the curb by 7 a.m.​ Community recycling centres and transfer stations will be closed. 3:07 Ottawa interim police chief says they’ve taken ‘unprecedented measures’ to prepare for possible Canada Day demon
Read more

Opinion: My miraculously pleasant flight shows what air travel can be - CNN

Image
Editor’s Note: Jill Filipovic is a journalist based in New York and author of the book “ OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind .” Follow her on Twitter . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely her own. View more opinion on CNN. CNN  —  This past weekend, I had one of the most unusual experiences of my life: a day of air travel that was easy, sensible, efficient — dare I say pleasant. Passengers and airport staff alike were friendly and polite. The airplane seat offered enough room for both of my legs and both of my arms. We took off on time and landed early. My shoes stayed on the whole time I was at the airport. Jill Filipovic Courtesy of Jill Filipovic It was a reminder of what travel could be. It was also in Johannesburg, South Africa, not in the US, and happened under a particular set of circumstances — a domestic flight on the Saturday afternoon of a long holiday weekend when most travelers had already reached their destinations. I h
Read more