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Sadeh is an ancient Iranian celebration meaning “party” and “Fire Festival”. It is celebrated on two separate days, either 100 days before or after Nowrouz or the beginning of winter. The purpose of the festival is to drive away winter and challenge Ahriman. Modern celebrations include music, dancing, traditional foods, and sometimes the slaughter of a lamb.
Sadeh – the English transliteration of Sadé or Sada, also known as Jashn-e or Jashne Sada, and Jashn-e or Jashne Sadé – is an ancient Iranian celebration. Jashn-e means “party”. Due to the big bonfire which is usually a part of the celebration, the festival is also called the “Fire Festival” – Adur-Jashn-e. The purpose of the fire is to drive away the winter and challenge Ahriman, the enemy of the creator Ahura Mazda, and the community joins in collecting wood to fuel the special bonfire.
Sadeh is traditionally celebrated on two separate days. Some say this is due to the change of the Zoroastrian calendar in the 3rd century AD Whatever the cause, the two celebrations are both dated by other events.
The meaning of Sadeh is “one hundred” and this refers to the fact that there are a total of 100 days before or after the event Sadeh is dated from. In the Yazd tradition, the celebration of Sadeh is 100 days before Nowrouz – also spelled Nowruz and Newroz – the traditional Zoroastrian New Year festival, which falls on the first day of spring. Some sources indicate that Sadeh, on the other hand, is celebrated 100 days before the religious Nowrouz, which does not necessarily coincide with the first day of spring. In any case, this places the celebration in December.
The other celebration of Sadeh, in the Kermani tradition, falls 100 days after an obligatory festival called gahanbar, or gahambar, of Ayathrima, which is the beginning of winter. This places the celebration in late January.
In modern celebrations, the lighting of fires is accompanied by celebrations that include music and dancing, and sometimes the slaughter of a lamb. Many attendees also offer prayers and share traditional foods. The celebrations are mostly in late January and now occur all over the world. For example, the Texas Persian Cultural Center sponsored a celebration of Sadeh on January 31, 2009.
