Kerman holds biggest Zoroastrian Sadeh Festival

On January 30 each year, Zoroastrians from all over Iran and other countries gather in Kerman, southeast of Iran, to celebrate the Zoroastrian Sadeh Festival by burning firewood outdoors.

Every year, on January 30, thousands of Zoroastrians and even Muslims from across Iran as well as other countries gather in Kerman, the city with the greatest Zoroastrian population, to celebrate the religious feast of Jashn-e Sadeh by burning firewood in an open space to celebrate the coming of spring and the victory of light over the forces of darkness, frost and cold.

Sadeh (meaning ‘hundred’ in Persian) is a mid-winter festival which is celebrated 50 days before Nowrouz, the Persian New Year.

Mohammad Ali Golabzadeh, a researcher who specializes in Kerman studies, told Mehr News that the ceremony is still celebrated like the ancient times in Kerman, Yazd, and some other Iranian cities.

“Although Sadeh is attributed to Zoroastrians, the ceremony itself has its roots in Kerman’s rituals and even Muslims participate in it,” he said, adding that to the majority of Iranians Sadeh is not a religious occasion and people simply gather together to have a good time and celebrate the precious things God has granted humanity.