Iran bans public from taking part in Zoroastrian Sadeh bonfire festival

Public participation in the ancient Zoroastrian Sadeh festival, once nearly forgotten but now surging in popularity among Iranians, is being banned anew by authorities in the Islamic Republic.

Interest in the Sadeh celebrations, along with other pre-Islamic festivals like the fall Mehregan celebration, has become a growing trend among Iranians.

Recognized by UNESCO in 2023 as a joint Iranian, Tajikistani Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Sadeh is an agricultural festival celebrated since ancient times. Though highly revered by Zoroastrians, this holiday is not exclusive to their faith and was historically celebrated by agricultural communities across the Persian Empire.

This year, travel agencies promoted package holidays to cities like Kerman, Yazd, Shiraz, and other smaller towns, offering tourists the chance to observe or participate in the Sadeh rituals led by Zoroastrian clergy, known as fire priests.

Plans were, however, canceled at the last minute after media reports on Tuesday revealed that, as in previous years, participation in the Sadeh celebrations in Kerman, Yazd, and Tehran on Wednesday would be strictly limited to Zoroastrians, despite many members of the general public hoping to take part.

Old footage from 1966 shows Zoroastrian fire priests preparing to light the Sadeh fire with embers from the holy fire

The festival takes place roughly midway between the Winter Solstice (Yalda) and the Spring Equinox, which marks the celebration of the Iranian New Year (Norouz). Ancient texts, including classical Persian historical chronicles, suggest that Sadeh commemorates the mythical King Houshang’s discovery of fire. In the Zoroastrian holy book, the Avesta, he is referred to as Haošyangha.

Sadeh is typically celebrated in open spaces, such as fields, with large bonfires. During Zoroastrian ceremonies, fire priests dressed in white robes light a massive bonfire, while participants gather to enjoy festive food and celebrate together.

Zoroastrianism, the world's oldest monotheistic religion, predates Islam by over a thousand years. Today, some estimates suggest there are about 30,000 Zoroastrians remaining in Iran.

In ancient Persia, the Sadeh bonfire symbolized the Sun, believed to grow stronger after the festival, warming the earth and preparing it for the spring planting season.

Some Iranian media outlets criticized the decision and some reports suggested that the decision to exclude the public may have been dictated by state authorities.

“Despite the inclusion of the Sadeh festival on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, restrictions on its celebration in Iran persist,” reported Kojaro, Iran’s leading tourism platform, on Wednesday.

Footage of Sadeh celebrations in Kerman Wednesday

Officials from the Zoroastrian community have not directly mentioned pressure from security forces or state agencies, instead citing "limited space" and "health considerations" as reasons for the decision.

Sirus Nikbakht, chairman of the Kerman Zoroastrian Association, told the media that non-Zoroastrians were not allowed to even watch the ritual lighting of the bonfire in the field where the ceremony was to take place. However, he mentioned that some government officials were invited to the ceremony.

A video of the celebration in Kerman shared on social media Wednesday showed Zoroastrian celebrants carrying large images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and Prophet Zardosht during the procession—presumably as a sign of respect for the government officials who attended the "private" ceremony.

“Cultural heritage experts still believe that due to its historical and cultural background, this festival should be celebrated as a national event with the presence of the public. Nevertheless, the [government's] policies regarding its celebration have not [yet] changed,” a commentary titled “Why Has the Ancient Sadeh Been Limited to Zoroastrians?” published by Jahan-e Sanat News on Tuesday stated.

“The celebration of Sadeh festival is not only a [Zoroastrian] religious ritual, but also a several thousand years old national celebration which all Iranians should participate in, not just Zoroastrians ... The ban on the presence of tourists in the celebration of Sadeh is a great disappointment and one cannot understand the logic behind it,” Afshin Amirshahi, chief editor of Payam-e Ma newspaper, protested in a Wednesday editorial.

While Zoroastrians, along with Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldean Christians, and Jews, are allowed to practice their faith, they must be cautious to keep Muslims away from their places of worship, particularly during prayers and ceremonies.

The Shia establishment closely associates Sadeh—and other ancient festivals like Norouz, Yalda, Charshanbeh Souri and Mehregan—with pre-Islamic Persia and Zoroastrianism, which they often link to "fire worship" and paganism.

Iranian authorities are also likely concerned that public participation in the festival could lead to uncontrollable crowds, reflecting their ongoing effort to restrict gatherings, especially after previous anti-state protests.

On January 30, 2023, at the height of the nationwide anti-state Woman, Life, Freedom protests, demonstrators lit Sadeh bonfires in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Ahvaz, and Shiraz, while chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.