Zoroastrians Celebrate Annual Feast of Sadeh
The religious feast which appeals to all Zoroastrians from all walks of life also features prayers and supplications to the almighty God.
In the Province of Kerman, the Zoroastrian priest Kamran Koumarsi led the symbolic ceremony assisted by several young Zoroastrians who expressed hope Iranians all over the country would join hands in the struggle to achieve progress.
Participants in the ceremony prayed for protection for the Islamic Republic of Iran from its enemies.
Reciting verses from the Avesta, the religious book of the Zoroastrians, the ceremony also included the delivery of speeches, distribution of nuts and bread specially baked for the occasion.
A similar ceremony was held in Yazd yesterday where local Zoroastrians called for prosperity of the Islamic Republic system and long life for the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
Zoroastrian minorities living in the cities of Ardakan, Taft and Yazd celebrate the feast of Jashn-e Sadeh annually as a tradition with ancient roots.
The Zoroastrians believe fire is a symbol of brightness and purity.
Meanwhile, Zoroastrians living in Shiraz, the capital city of Fars Province, also celebrated the feast yesterday.
Head of the Province's Zoroastrian Association, Aflatoun Sohrabi, told IRNA that Jashn-e Sadeh is in fact a feast of the victory of light over darkness and the raising of praises to the almighty God.
During the ceremony, the participants prayed for glory for the Islamic Republic and prosperity for their Iranian countrymen.
According to existing statistics, over 600 Zoroastrian families live in Shiraz.
Shiraz's Zoroastrian Association had earlier announced that there are over 150,000 Zoroastrians all over the world, 30,000 of which live in various provinces in the Islamic Republic, namely, Yazd, Fars, Isfahan, Kerman and Tehran.
(IRNA)