Lighting fires that brightened the night sky, followers of Iran s minority Zoroastrian religion marked the Sadeh festival in several cities, celebrating the end of the coldest winter days.
TEHRAN, Iran — Lighting fires that brightened the night sky, followers of Iran’s minority Zoroastrian religion marked the Sadeh festival in several cities, celebrating the end of the coldest winter
TEHRAN, Iran — Lighting fires that brightened the night sky, followers of Iran’s minority Zoroastrian religion marked the Sadeh festival in several cities, celebrating the end of the coldest winter
TEHRAN, Iran Lighting fires that brightened the night sky, followers of Iran's minority Zoroastrian religion marked the Sadeh festival in several cities Tuesday, celebrating the end of the coldest winter days. Every year on January 30, Zoroastrians gather after sunset to celebrate the 50 days and 50 nights remaining until spring. Sadah, which means "the 100," is an ancient feast from when the religion was the dominant faith in the powerful Persian empire, which collapsed after the Arab invasion in the 7th century. On the southwestern outskirts of Tehran, several Zoroastrian priests and priestesses, dressed in white from head-to-toe to symbolize purity, led young followers to light a giant bonfire in a joyful ceremony. Around the fire, people listened to bands and theological lectures as they milled about while eating and celebrating. In a rare move, the Islamic Republic's air force band played the national anthem, among other tunes, to the excitement of the atten
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Lighting fires that brightened the night sky, followers of Iran’s minority Zoroastrian religion marked the Sadeh festival in several cities, celebrating the end of the coldest