Farvardegan Festival
Farvardegan is a festival that begins five days before the New Year, on the day of Eshtad Yazata (the 26th), and lasts for ten days to commemorate the deceased. In Zoroastrian and Aryan myths, God created the world in six stages over the course of a year, called “Gahambar.” Zoroastrians celebrate six-day festivals on specific days of the year to honor this creation. Each festival lasts five days, with the first four days serving as preparations and the last day being the most important. These festivals have long been observed in Iranian culture, promoting togetherness, gathering, and joy. During these celebrations, people praise and thank their Creator for His gifts and good creations.
As mentioned, Gahambars represent the stages of world creation, and Farvardegan, or Hams-pat-madam, is the last Gahambar. In the first Gahambar, the sky was created; in the second, water; in the third, earth; in the fourth, plants and crops; in the fifth, animals; and the sixth marks the creation of humans. The sixth festival is celebrated on the last day of the leap year, called Vaheshtoo Isht.
The month of Farvardin belongs to the Fravashis. A Fravashi is a kind of spirit and a companion of humans, existing before their physical creation and returning to the spiritual world before death. During the sixth Gahambar, the Fravashis of the righteous and sacred deceased descend to earth and their homes, staying for ten nights or, according to some accounts, until the day of Faravashi, the 19th.
Al-Biruni, in Athar al-Baqiya, mentioned that the last five days of Esfand were considered the first Farvardegan, and the “Five Vah” or Khamsa al-Mustaraqah were the second Farvardegan. On the last day of the sixth Gahambar, Nowruz celebrations begin.
Iranian families, in preparation for Farvardegan, would start cleaning their homes and removing dust from early Esfand, preparing for the arrival of the Fravashis, and transforming enmity into friendship. They also lit fires on rooftops to guide the Fravashis, as fire symbolized the essence of Ahura Mazda and represented warmth, joy, and kindness.
When the Fravashis arrive, they are pleased to see clean and tidy homes, blessing the household. If the home is messy or dirty, they become sad and leave without blessing.
The Fravashis come to ensure the happiness, health, and piety of their survivors and return to the spiritual world at the start of the New Year. On the night of Nowruz, the living honor them by keeping fires burning until morning.
Today, Iranians continue these traditions by cleaning their homes, wearing new clothes, praying, setting the Haft-Seen table, placing drinks, sweets, water jars, and flower vases in the house. Zoroastrians believe that during these ten days, the Fravashis share in the joy and happiness of the family. People perform acts to please the Fravashis so that their livelihood increases and sorrows decrease. On this day, Zoroastrians also give part of their income and wealth to others.
