Festivals
Festivals that are currently suggested include:
Sada - Midwinter festival - around 1st February
Ostara - Mithraic Easter - Festival of creation and new life - Spring Equinox
Litha - Midsummer Festival - Summer Solstice
Messis - Festival of Harvest and celebration of the produce of life - Autumn Equinox
Mihrakana - ('Festival of Mithras') - Celebration of religious life and religious community - 29th September
Atarkana - ('Fire Festival') - Celebration of the free human spirit, the fire within - November 5th.
Yalda - Re-birth of the Sun - Winter Solstice and following days especially 25th December
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A Longer List:
Sada - around the 1st February
- Midwinter fire festival. Fire here is a source of warmth that maintains life against the harsh cold of winter and so we are especially interested in the indoor hearth fire.
- Maybe dedicated to the goddess Hestia Tapati.
- Celebrated in Iran as Sadeh (30th Jan) and in the West as Candlemas (2nd Feb)
In pre-Christian times, this day was known as the 'Feast of Lights' and celebrated the increased strength of the life-giving sun as winter gave way to spring.
Mortuorum - (or 'Festus Mortuorum')
- Probably a day or period leading up to Ostara
- Oldest traditions are to mourn recently departed dead at the end of the winter season
- "Feast of the Dead"
- "All Souls Day"
- celebrate the spirits of the departed
- invite them to feast with you
- Persian Fravardigan
Ostara - Spring Equinox - about 21st March
- beginning of spring
- celebration of new life
- Persian Nowruz
Zartonatus - 26 March (Zartus Natus)
- birthday of Zarathustra
- celebrate wisdom and enlightenment
Maiakana - 1st May
- fertility, prosperity, burgeoning new life
- celebration of youth/young adulthood
- Spring 'King & Queen'
- Robinus : a lusty and lawless male figure
- Maia (or Maiana) : a goddess of growth
- Persian Maidyozarem (mid-spring)
Litha - summer solstice or midsummer - around 21st June
- water festival
- celebration of defeat of drought by life-giving rain
- ?celebrate physical strength and prowess
- ?celebrate Anahita as goddess of the waters?
- Persian Tirikana
Messis - Autumn Equinox - around 22nd September
- Harvest Festival
- Thanksgiving
- End of summer
- Persian Paitishahem (bringing in the crops) with some features of Mehregan
Mihrakana (or Mithrakana)- 29th September (Michaelmas)
- Festival of Mithras
- Celebrate Mithras and the Good Powers
- Celebrate the Mithraic movement
- Consider how can support Mithras in the coming year and make a 'Mihrakana resolution'
Cyrus Day - 29th October
Atarkana - November 5th
- Fire Festival
- celebration of the life energy
- celebration of freedom
- story of the blacksmith Kavey, the good prince Freydon and the white wizard Albomagus in overcoming the evil tyrant Azidak
Yalda - Winter solstice
- Re-birth of the Sun
including: BRUMA (18th to 24th Dec)
when the Sun is at its weakest
and NOVUSSOL (25th Dec to 31st Dec)
when we celebrate the growing strength of the Sun
- or twelve days: 21st dec to 1st jan
after nightfall on 21st dec - death of Mithras?
followed by three days of fasting until
after nightfall on 24th dec - 'Mithraic Breakfast' (makes sense in English language at least) expectation of rebirth celebration
25th december (after sunrise) - epiphany of Mithras (announcement of his re-birth by magi)?
- Persian Yalda and Zayesh Mehr
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