Solstice rites, lights and Lamps in the Zoroastrian customs and tradition
A characteristic aspect of Zoroastrianism is its veneration of light/fire. The elaborate cult of fire is one of the most distinctive and striking aspects of the Zoroastrian faith and goes back to the...
View ArticleThe Winter Festival of Sadæ and the Discovery of Fire
The Zoroastrians celebrate their major winter festival called sadæ on the fortieth day after the winter solstice. It is believed that fortieth (also known as “čellae” in Persian) is the most freezing...
View ArticleÁrmaiti, Perfect Mediation, Firm Foundation,
The festival of the Auspicious Ármaiti falls on February 18th in the Zoroastrian sacred calendar. Per our age-old tradition, every year, we write verses from the Avesta (“sacred songs/poetry” of the...
View ArticleWelcoming the Blessed Spirits with Bonfires and the 10 days of Introspection...
The last ten days before Vernal Equinox/New Year are a time of reflection and introspection among Zoroastrians. Not only we thoroughly clean and beautify our homes, but must come clean...
View ArticleLate Bronze Age and the time of Zarathustra
The subject of Zarathustra’s time, the seer-prophet of ancient Indo-Iranians has been a very contentious issue in the field of ancient Iranian studies. Some western academics have literally called...
View ArticleAži Dahák, the three headed snake man/monster
Aži Dahāk or the “snake man/monster,” is viewed as the greatest lieutenant of aæšma, the demon-God of “upside down order, vengeful anger, chaos, and wrath” in Zoroastrian mythology. Aæšma, in turn is...
View ArticleThe Indo-European Twin Yima, and the Celebration of the First Dawn of Spring...
Vernal Equinox marks the beginning of the Zoroastrian New Year and is the most sacred of all the Zoroastrian religious festivals. The rites associated with the celebration of Vernal Equinox and New...
View ArticleThe Autumn festival of Miθrá
The autumnal festival of Miθrá falls on October 2nd in the ancient seasonal Zoroastrian Calendar! Zoroastrians consider Miθrá, the guardian of early morning hours after dawn, and invoke him in their...
View ArticleHomage to Heavens and Light in Zoroastrianism
The direction faced by Zoroastrians during meditations/prayers is narrated in the 53rdchapter of DĀDESTÁN Í MĒNÖG Í ḴRAD(Judgments or Decisions of the Spirit of Wisdom.) The book itself consists of 63...
View ArticleMidsummer Festivities and celebration of Sirius, called Tištar or the...
The Zoroastrian Mid-Summer festivities start on June 29 and last till July 3rd. During the Mid-Summer festivities on July 1st, the brightest star in the sky or Sirius, called Tištar or the Three-stars...
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