Iran's Zoroastrians Hold Annual Festival In Yazd

Zoroastrians celebrated on January 30 the annual Sadeh festival in the central Iranian city of Yazd by lighting a huge bonfire to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold. The ancient Persian festival is celebrated by followers of the minority faith 50 days before Nowrouz, the Persian New Year. Yazd is home to thousands of followers of the ancient religion Zoroastrianism. Shia Islam is the state religion in Iran, but the Islamic Republic’s constitution recognizes several minority faiths, including Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.