Which Customs And Ceremonies Are Connected To Zoroastrianism?

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Iranian religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, who reformed the ancient Iranian religion. It is a dualistic faith that worships Ahura Mazda, the supreme deity of wisdom, and struggles against evil forces. The central ritual of Zoroastrianism is the Yasna, which is a recitation of the eponymous book of the Avesta and sacrificial ritual ceremony involving Haoma. Extensions to the Yasna ritual are possible through the use of the Visperad and Vendidad, but such an extended ritual is rare in modern Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrian religious practices are generally referred to as TARIKATS (observances) and are disciplines and rules of ritual purity for daily life. The key religious practice for Zoroastrians is to recite the sudre/kusti prayers with which each Zoroastrian is invested at initiation (naujote). Zoroastrians traditionally pray several times a day, with some wearing a kusti to remind them of the maxim, “Good Words, Good”.

Zoroastrians have five daily prayers or Gāh, and they practice ablution, just like Muslims. They pray facing the sun or a source of light. Traditionally, neither burial nor cremation were practiced by Zoroastrians. Instead, dead bodies were taken to a Tower of Silence and laid out. Today, Zoroastrians practice purification and penance, and they turn towards a flame or a source of light while praying.

In summary, Zoroastrianism is an ancient religion that has had a significant impact on various world religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Its history, teachings, and practices continue to influence modern religions and continue to shape the beliefs and practices of its followers.

What are the rituals of Zoroastrianism?

The sacred fire in Hinduism is kept burning continuously and fed five times a day, with prayers recited five times a day. The founding of a new fire involves an elaborate ceremony, purification rites, and regeneration of a fire. After death, a four-eyed dog is brought before the corpse, which is repeated five times a day. The fire is kept burning in the room until three days after the removal of the corpse to the dakhma, or “tower of silence”. The dakhma is built in three concentric circles, with corpses exposed naked.

Vultures strip the flesh off the bones, which are then dried by the sun and swept into a central well. The morning of the fourth day is the most solemn observance in the death ritual, as the departed soul reaches the next world and appears before deities who will pass judgment over it.

What are Zoroastrians not allowed to do?

Zoroastrians were forbidden from wearing certain clothing and accessories, including eyeglasses, long cloaks, trousers, hats, boots, socks, and watches or rings. This persecution began after the rise of Islam in the 7th century CE, leading to forced conversions and violence against Zoroastrians. Muslims who arrived in Persia after the annexation by the Rashidun Caliphate destroyed Zoroastrian temples and required Zoroastrians to pay a tax called jizya.

Mosques were built in their place, and Persian libraries were burned. As the Rashidun Caliphate passed laws regulating Zoroastrian behavior, the persecution of Zoroastrians became more widespread, leading to the decline of the religion. Many Zoroastrians fled to India, where they were given refuge. Many converted to Islam to avoid discrimination and second-class citizenship in the caliphates. After their conversion, their children were sent to an Islamic school to learn Arabic and study the Quran, contributing to the decline of Zoroastrianism. However, under the Samanid Empire, the Persian language re-emerged significantly, marking the beginning of the Iranian Intermezzo.

Where is Zoroastrianism practices?

Zoroastrianism, an ancient pre-Islamic religion founded in Persia (now Iran), has been a subject of persecution under Islamic regimes. It flourishes more freely in India, where Persian followers, known as Parsis, immigrated in the 10th century. The Iranian prophet and religious reformer Zarathushtra, also known as Zoroaster, is traditionally considered the founder of the religion. Zoroastrianism contains both monotheistic and dualistic features, likely influencing other major Western religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The ancient Greeks saw Zoroastrianism as an archetype of the dualistic view of the world and human destiny. Zarathushtra is believed to have instructed Pythagoras in Babylon and inspired the Chaldean doctrines of astrology and magic. Zoroastrianism likely influenced the development of Judaism and the birth of Christianity, with Christians identifying Zoroaster with various figures, including Jesus Christ.

What are the rituals of Zoroastrian fire?

Zoroastrian rituals are centered on the concept of purification, with Zoroastrians striving to maintain purity in their minds, bodies, and environments as a means of combating evil. In Zoroastrianism, fire is regarded as the epitome of purity. Sacred fires are kept in fire temples (agiaries) to symbolize the divine light and illuminated mind. It is a fundamental tenet of Zoroastrianism that no ritual or ceremony may be performed without the presence of a sacred fire.

What is the birth ritual in Zoroastrianism?

Zoroastrianism is a religious system in India, where children are born without any rites at birth. The first major stage in life is initiation, which occurs just before puberty when a child chooses to join the army of Ahura Mazda. The ceremony involves the priest investiting the child with a sacred shirt and cord, which all Zoroastrians wear as a vest throughout life. Marriage is a religious duty to have children and expand the Good Creation of Ahura Mazda.

High Priests cannot perform higher liturgical ceremonies until they have married. The wedding ceremony is performed by priests, with the couple facing each other with a curtain. The first person to shower rice over the other is believed to dominate the marriage. A cord is passed around them, symbolizing the marriage bond. The couple affirms their wish to get married and is blessed by the priest(s). Divorce is more common in India than in the West, but less common in India.

What do Zoroastrians celebrate?

Zoroastrians celebrate six seasonal festivals, including Gahambars, which last five days and honor the five material creations: earth, water, plants, animals, and humans. The first four days involve reciting scriptures and a feast on the last day. Maidyozarem, the first Gahambar, falls on April 30 to May 4 and honors heaven and the creation of stars. Maidyoi-shema, observed on June 29 to July 3, celebrates the creation of water, the end of the spring harvest, and the start of the summer harvest.

Do Zoroastrians marry their sisters?

Xwedodah was a form of direct familial incest marriage that allowed Zoroastrians to marry their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, and mothers as wives. It was widely practiced by royalty and nobility, but it is unknown if it was common among other classes. In modern Zoroastrianism, it is nearly non-existent, having disappeared by the 11th century AD. The Avestan term xᵛaētuuadaθa is still ambiguous in Young Avestan texts, but it becomes used in its current form in Middle Persian.

The earliest use of the term in Middle Persian is found in the Ka’ba-ye Zartosht inscription at Naqsh-e Rostam. The compound Xwedodah consists of a “family” of Khito (xᵛaētu) and vadaθa, a derivative of the verb “resulting in marriage” related to other Iranian and Indo-European languages. The term “Wife” is Av. Vaδū, “Bride” is Pahlavi wayūg (Pers. Bayu), and “Bride’s room” is Pahlavi wayūdag.

What do Zoroastrians pray?

Zoroastrian prayers are invocational, celebrating Ahura Mazda and his divine essence. They are said facing the sun or fire, representing Ahura Mazda’s divine light and energy. Purification is a key focus in Zoroastrian rituals, with the quest to defeat evil (Angra Mainyu). Fire is seen as the supreme symbol of purity, and sacred fires are maintained in Fire Temples (Agiaries) to represent the light of God and illuminated mind. No Zoroastrian ritual or ceremony is performed without a sacred fire present.

Do Zoroastrians have a holy day?

Nowruz, also known as Naw-ruz or Norooz, is a significant holy day for Zoroastrians, Bahá’ís, Sufis, and some Muslims. It falls on March 21 in the Fasli calendar and is celebrated quietly in homes and temples. Zoroastrian holy days are observed by followers of Zarathushti, who must observe the six Gahambar festivals and Nowruz, called feasts of obligation. Festivals can fall on different days, depending on the calendar used. Persian Zoroastrians follow the Qadīmī calendar, while Parsis use the Shenshai calendar, which is a month longer.

In the early 20th century, some Parsis adopted the Faṣlī (Gregorian) calendar, with Nowruz always falling on March 21. Parsis who use the Shenshai or Qadmi calendars celebrate the spring equinox as Jamshed-i-Nouroz and New Year’s in July or August.

What are two basic beliefs of Zoroastrianism?

Zoroastrianism is a belief system that places significant emphasis on the dichotomy between good and evil. The world, according to this system of belief, was created by Ahura Mazda, the God of Zoroastrianism, with the intention of facilitating the interaction between these two forces.

Do Zoroastrians believe in Jesus?

Zoroastrians adhere to the tenet of a messianic figure, designated as Saoshyant, which resonates with the conceptualization of Jesus but is not explicitly articulated. Although there are instances where individual Zoroastrians do espouse the belief that Jesus is a messiah, it is not a widely held conviction.