Students of Dinyari Elementary School marked the Global Sadeh Festival, an ancient tradition inherited from their ancestors, by offering prayers and lighting a ceremonial fire.
The event took place on Sunday, Bahman 7, 1403 (January 26, 2025), at 4:00 PM in the school’s courtyard, with the presence of students, their parents, teachers, the principal, staff members, and representatives from the Zoroastrian Association of Yazd.
The celebration featured a variety of performances, including prayers and Gatha recitations, choral singing, music, Shahnameh readings, and a presentation on the significance of the Sadeh Festival. Mobed Dr. Mehrban Pouladi, head of the Mobeds’ Association, addressed the attendees, while Fariba Gheybi, principal of Dinyari Elementary School, welcomed the participants and extended her congratulations on the occasion.
The program concluded with an Avesta recitation and fire-lighting ceremony, conducted by Mobeds Mehrban Pouladi and Fariba Mali. The ceremony was accompanied by group daf performance by students’ mothers, with students joining in.
The coordination of the Global Sadeh Festival at Dinyari Elementary School was overseen by Principal Fariba Gheybi, along with the school’s educational and administrative team and members of the Parents and Teachers Association.
On the 10th of Bahman, known as the day of Mehr in the Zoroastrian calendar, the Sadeh Festival is celebrated to commemorate the discovery of fire and the progress of human civilization.
According to historical tradition, King Hushang of the Pishdadian dynasty, in an attempt to protect himself from a serpent, threw a stone at it. When the stone struck another rock on the mountainside, sparks flew, giving rise to fire. This marked the moment when fire became a useful element for humankind.
Sadeh holds a special place across various perspectives—historical, religious, and mythological—and has been preserved among non-Zoroastrian Iranians under different names and customs. While numerous historical theories explore the festival’s origins, its true significance lies in its enduring presence and ability to be passed down to future generations.
The Global Sadeh Festival was inscribed on Iran’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 1398 (2020) and was officially recognized as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in Azar 1402 (December 2023).
