Iran Press/ Iran news: Iran's traditional festival of Sadeh has been officially recognized and added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.
The ancient festival of Sadeh celebrated 50 days before Persian New Year (Nowruz), is one of Iran's oldest cultural ceremonies, dating back to the Achaemenid Empire. (550-330 B.C.)
Sadeh in Persian means "hundred" and refers to one hundred days and nights remaining to the beginning of spring. Sadeh is a mid-winter festival that was celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient Persia.
During ancient times, the fires were always set near water and the temples. The fire was originally meant to assist the revival of the sun and bring back the warmth and light of summer.
It was also meant to drive off the demons of frost and cold, which turned water to ice, and thus could kill the roots of plants.
The festivity honors the sacred elements of fire, water, wind, and soil to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.
In ancient Iranian belief, the fire lit on this day symbolized the warming of the earth and its readiness for the arrival of the spring season.
In addition, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also recognized Iftar, the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset to break their fast during Ramadan, as the 23rd element of Iran’s intangible cultural heritage, in a joint dossier with the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
This collective dossier was submitted during the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, being held in Kasane, Republic of Botswana.
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