The birth anniversary of Prophet Spitaman Zarathushtra (Zoroaster), who founded
Zoroastrianism, is celebrated as Khordad Sal. It falls sometime in August or
September, on the sixth day of the Parsi month of Farvardin.
The exact year of Zarathushtra's birth is not known, but it is generally
accepted that he was born in the beginning of the first millennium BC.
Similarly, the day of his birth is also not precisely known, and the fixing of
Khordad Sal as his birthday is symbolical. The religious lore and texts of the
Parsis mention the festival and its importance. In some old Parsi texts, this
day is also spoken of as the Navroz-I-Khas, which means 'special new year's
day', while the real New Year's day is referred to as Navroz-I-Am, meaning
'common new year's day'.
In the olden days, the king and nobility, especially, observed Khordad Sal as
Navroz-I-Khas. It is said to be the day on which many historic events of old
Iran are said to have happened. Later, it came to be observed solely as
Zarathushtra's birthday.
Rituals
Clean, rangoli-strewn homes, children with vermilion spots on their foreheads,
new clothes, fragrant flowers and delicious meals, all form part of the rituals.
Jashan, or thanksgiving prayers, are offered to God in the agiaries. A grand
feast is prepared to mark the occasion.
Since the Parsi community is especially tight-knit, its celebrations bring kith
and kin together; so does Khordad Sal.The festival is also an opportunity for
the Parsis to review their lives and actions, and make resolutions for the
future.
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