Zoroastrian traditions

Zoroastrian traditions belong to one of the world's oldest faiths, founded in ancient Iran and kept today by the Parsis of India, the Iranis, and communities in Iran, Britain and North America. They include Nowruz, the Navjote initiation, the Jashan thanksgiving, fire temples, the seasonal Gahambar feasts, and the funeral customs of the Towers of Silence. Fire stands for the light of God, and the faith teaches good thoughts, good words and good deeds. These pages describe the customs with respect for a community that is small but proud.

Fire and the Navjote

Fire temples keep a sacred flame, tended by priests in white, and worshippers offer sandalwood and pray before it. At the Navjote, children aged around seven to fifteen receive the sedreh, a white shirt, and the kusti, a cord tied three times around the waist, and are welcomed into the faith before family and friends, with a feast after. The occasion is among the happiest in the community, and children remember it for life.

Nowruz and the feasts

Nowruz, the new year at the spring equinox, is the main festival, with the haft-sin table and visits. Parsi New Year, Pateti, falls in summer or autumn according to a different calendar. The Gahambars are seasonal feasts that bring the community together, and a Parsi wedding or Navjote includes a dish of sweet vermicelli, lagan nu custard and a cheerful procession. Food, including dhansak and patra ni machhi, is a point of pride.