Autumn's festival
Mehregan celebrates the month of Mehr, which begins the second half of the Persian year. It is named for Mithra, the old Iranian divinity of friendship, love and keeping one’s word. In the Achaemenid and Sasanian periods it was one of the great feasts of the year, held at harvest time, with gifts from every part of the empire. The account of the Persian kings says it was celebrated lavishly at Persepolis.
The story of Fereydun
The festival is also linked to the story from the Shahnameh of Fereydun’s defeat of the tyrant Zahhak, whom he chained inside Mount Damavand. Mehregan was therefore a celebration of justice returning, as well as of the harvest.
Celebrating today
Zoroastrians in Iran and India, and Iranians of every background, still mark Mehregan. People dress in warm, bright colours, set a table with autumn fruit, flowers, sweets and a mirror, and exchange gifts and greetings. Zoroastrian families hold a gathering with food and prayers. In Iran, ceremonies are held in many cities, and in diaspora communities, such as in the Netherlands, families set the Mehregan table every autumn.
