Zoroastrian Festivals - Name-day Feasts

Name-day Feasts

Eleven divinities of the Zoroastrian pantheon have both a day-of-the-month and a month-of-the-year dedicated to them. A special Yasna or Jashan (meaning "worship", "oblation") service is then held in their honor on those day/month intersections.

Six of these Jashan days are dedicated to the six Ameshaspands (Amesha Spentas). These six days are respectively:

• Jashan of Ardavisht, celebrating fire and all other luminaries. 3rd day of the 2nd month (April 22)
• Jashan of (K)Hordad, celebrating the waters. 6th day of the 3rd month (May 25)
• Jashan of Amurdad, celebrating plants. 7th day of the 5th month (July 25)
• Jashan of Shahrevar, celebrating metals and minerals. 4th day of the 6th month (August 21)
• Jashan of Bahman, celebrating animal creation. 2nd day of the 11th month (January 16)
• Jashan of Spendarmad, celebrating the earth. 5th day of the 12th month (February 18)

In parentheses are the Fasli/Bastani calendar dates.

Five name-day feasts are dedicated to other yazatas with a name/month dedication:

• Farwardigan, celebration of the Fravashis on the 19th day of the 1st month (April 8).
• Tiregan, celebration to Tishtrya, the rains, on the 13th day of the 4th month (July 1).
• Abanagan, celebration of Apas, the waters, in particular of Aredvi Sura Anahita. It falls on the 9th day of the 8th month (October 26).
• Adargan, celebration of Atar, fire. Adargan falls on the 10th day of 9th month (November 24).
• Mehregan, celebrating Mithra on the 16th day of the 7th month (October 2).

The remaining name/month dedication is to Dae "Creator", whose jashan is celebrated on each of the four days (1st, 8th, 15th, 23rd day of the month) that are dedicated to the Creator Ahura Mazda. Each of those four days is called Jashan of Dadvah ("Creator").