Gahanbar Mithras in Zoroastrianism

When the Sun passes 23 degrees of Libra, the Fifth Gahanbar is celebrated, dedicated to Mithras This is a Zarvan-Zoroastrian holiday, which is called the Day of Choice Since all the holidays of Zoroastrianism are subject to the movement of the Sun along the Zodiacal circle and are celebrated when the Sun passes a certain degree, the date of celebration may vary by 1-2 days depending on the year It is believed that when passing 23 degrees of Libra (this happens on October 15-16), the Sun activates a point that embodies the principles of order, law and justice The Great Ized Mithra, to whom this day is dedicated, regulates human relations, establishes peace, protects marriages, preserves friendship, the sanctity of the contract and severely punishes those who violate their oath It is believed that no lie can hide from Mithras, associated with the sun's rays, so he carries out posthumous judgment over dead people, weighing his good and evil deeds on the scales Therefore, Zoroastrians treat this word responsibly and do not throw around promises in vain They follow the rule: look after your partner's interests before your own and do not harm living beings It is believed that October is especially favorable for starting a family and concluding any other contractual relationships between people These days also favor all those who seek justice In the month dedicated to Mithras, all Zoroastrians strictly observe the law and obey the requirements of religious ritual The celebration of Gahanbra Mitra begins late at night on October 15 and continues until sunrise the next day It is believed that on this sacred night people are freed from their demons, renounce their vices and delusions, and make their conscious choice between Good and Evil Traditionally, on this festive night they take an oath and light 5 lights that personify the Law When pronouncing the oath, women kneel on their right knee, and men on their left, facing east, and then partake of uncut consecrated bread and haoma Haoma is a wine that is prepared specially for the holiday in a large honey bowl All those gathered bring wine with them and pour it into one vessel The wine is mixed, spices, water and berry juice are added to it Haoma is scooped up with a silver spoon and eaten with halva with nuts Since the main meaning of gahanbars is to express gratitude for seasonal gifts, the main dishes at the Mithra festival are sweets, fruits and vegetables Pomegranates and apples are obligatory treats, but eating meat dishes on this night is prohibited It is also forbidden to jump over a fire, since fire is sacred on this day But you can dance in circles and sing songs The Night of Choice ends at dawn with the launch of fireworks