Sadeh Festival, is an ancient mid winter Iranian festival that takes place 50 days before Nowruz, the Persian New Year, to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold.

Iran Press/Iran news: Sadeh meaning hundred in Farsi, is a celebration observed by Zoroastrians. 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 (satan). It is a deeply religious festival.

The origins of the Sadeh festival is somewhat ambiguous and there is no trace of this ceremony in the Zoroastrian holy texts. Some historians suggest this ceremony existed even before Zoroastrianism, the world’s oldest monotheistic religion.

Traditionally young boys went door to door and ask for wood and collect whatever they could get, from a broken spade-handle to logs and broken branches. 

Sadeh is a celebration observed by Zoroastrians

All wood collected would be taken to the local shrine. Before the sunset all gathered outside the temple to torch the wood. 

The fire is kept burning all night. The day after, first thing in the morning, women would go to the fire and each one will carry a small portion back to their homes and new glowing fires are made from the ritually blessed fire. This is to spread the blessing of the Sadeh fire to every household in the neighborhood. 101

 

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Sadeh is a celebration observed by Zoroastrians
Sadeh is a celebration observed by Zoroastrians