SADEH FESTIVITY:

Sadeh, which means hundred, is a mid-winter feast that was celebrated with magnificence in ancient Iran. It was a festivity to honor fire and defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold. Two different days were observed for its veneration. One celebration marked the hundredth day before the religious Norooz on the first day of the Farvardin, or March 21.(religious Norooz is different from the seasonal spring Norooz). The other one was the hundredth day after Ayathrima(one of the six feasts of obligation) held to be the beginning of winter.

In ancient times the fires were always set near water and temples.
The great fire meant to help revive the declining sun, and bring back the warmth and light of summer. It was also designed to drive off the demons of frost and cold, which turned water to ice, and thus could kill the roots of plants.

For these reasons the fire was lit near and even over water and by the shrine of Mihr, who was the lord of fire and the sun.



The fire is kept burning all night. The day after 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 fires. This is to spread the blessing of the Sadeh fir to every household in the neighborhood.

The festivities would normally go on three days. Evenings are spent eating and giving away khairat (sharing food).

Today, Sadeh is mainly celebrated on 10th of Bahman. The fires are not lit outside and all activities take place inside the shrines.