The holiday of Zervana-Karana in Zoroastrianism

There are about 300 thousand followers of Zoroastrianism in the world - one of the oldest world religions, which arose in the 7th-6th centuries BC The supreme deity Ahura Mazda and his emanations in the person of holy spirits call on believers to adhere to good thoughts and words in life, and to do only good deeds The teaching is based on the revelations of the legendary prophet Spitama Zarathustra, who formulated its moral basis: “Happiness is to those who wish happiness to others” Today Mazdaism, the second name for Zoroastrianism, is widespread in Iran, India, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and the USA Believers, in addition to studying the holy book "Avesta", read prayers throughout the day, take part in services and rituals The rituals are carried out by mobeds - high-ranking priests who lead the temples and are considered the descendants of the first disciples of Zarathustra His followers attach great importance to religious ceremonies, in which the main role is played by light and sacred fire - the earthly embodiment of the image of God Zoroastrians celebrate Nowruz (new year) and hold memorial services for the souls of the dead (porse) and purification rites (barashnu) One of the major religious celebrations is the Zervana-Karana Festival, which is celebrated on January 5th The Avesta says that the omnipotent and omniscient Akhur Mazda created heaven and earth Besides the world, he created six deities: Spetna Armaiti (holy piety), Vohu Mana (good intention), Khshatra Vairya (elected power), Asha Vahishta (best truth), Haurvatat (integrity) and Ameretat (immortality) These incarnations of Ahura Mazda are not the only significant categories of philosophical teaching The personification of time and space in Zoroastrianism is Zervan - “Father of Greatness” The destinies of people and everything that happens in this world are predetermined by this deity of yours Zervan's power lies in the fact that he is stronger than good and evil The personification of these categories were the sons of the “Father of Greatness”: Ahura Mazda and his antipode - Ahriman The Zervana-Karana holiday was established to fight evil, to create in people the opportunity to escape from endlessly closed time, the cyclical nature of the world in the form of birth and death The teaching pays great attention to astrology, horoscopes consisting of 32 cycles, and totem animals All religious events in Zoroastrianism are tied to the zodiacal circle and the movement of the Sun across the sky This also applies to Zervan-Karan On the eve of the celebration, January 4, when the luminary appears at 14 degrees of the sign of Capricorn, they try to remain silent, do not drink or eat anything from sunrise to sunset A trap for evil is a corridor, which is created from two candles, a small and a large mirror Only trained people who are familiar with mediation and other spiritual practices can peer into the reflection of themselves and the fire In honor of the holiday, Zoroastrians light oil lamps and decorate their homes with branches of sacred plants - pine and spruce Games and fortune-telling, torchlight processions and masquerades are held on Zervan-Karan, which are held until January 17 - the time of passage of the Sun from 15 to 27 degrees Capricorn Laughter and fun that reign for 12 days, and tearing off the masks of Evil from the carnival participants symbolize its exposure and the victory of Good over the forces of darkness