According to the Shehenshahi calendar, the Holy Fravardegan or Muktad days will commence on 5^th August and end on 14^th August, 2024. The Parsi New Year this year will coincide with India’s Independence Day on 15^th August, 2024. It will continue to coincide with this date for four years, after which it will move to 14^th August, since we do not observe leap year or addition of one extra day once every four years to synchronize the calendar with the seasons. During the Sasanian dynasty in ancient Zoroastrian Iran, the tradition was to intercalate one full month of thirty days, once every one hundred and twenty years to synchronize the calendar with the seasons.

Ten Holy Days: The last ten days of the Zoroastrian year begin on Roj Astad and end on Roj Aneran of the month of Aspandarmad, and to these last five days of the last month (Aspandarmad), we add five days of the Gatha. It is important to note that the five Gatha days are ‘stand-alone’ days and are neither suffixed to the last moth of the Zoroastrian calendar (Aspandarmad), nor prefixed to the first month of the Zoroastrian calendar (Fravardin). In short, the five Gatha days belong to no month in the Zoroastrian calendar of twelve months.

The first five days from Roj Ashtad to Roj Aneran are known as the Panj-i-Keh, (smaller days) and during these days the normal Baj, Afringan, Farokshi and Stum prayers are recited in honour of the Ardafravash. The five Gatha days from Ahunavad to Vahishtoisht are called the Panj-i-Mah (greater days). These five days also mark the seasonal festival of the Hamaspathmaidyem Gahambar (to commemorate Ahura Mazda’s sixth creation i.e., human beings)! During the five Gatha days, Baj, Afringan, Farokshi and Stum prayers are recited in honour of the Gatha as well as the Gahambar. Special Gahambar Jashans are also performed during these five days.

Zoroastrians believe that during the holy fravardegan days, the fravashi of the righteous dead, arrive from their spiritual world into this material world and bless all those who remember and pray for them. These last ten days of the Zoroastrian calendar (also known as Muktad days) are observed with great sanctity and piety by devout Zoroastrians. The term Muktad is derived from the Sanskrit term Mukt Atma or the free/liberated spirit.

Diverse Religious Traditions

Almost every religious tradition observes a day or days for remembering their near and dear departed ones. They say grief is the last act of love that we offer to those we loved; and remembering them is akin to breathing life into their fading presence from our life. Most humans, by nature, are ritualistic and therefore prayers and ceremonies help us acknowledge the reality of death and emotions associated with the departure of a loved one.

Like the fravardegan days which Zoroastrians observe for ten days (some still observe for eighteen days), Hindus observe Pitru Paksha for a period of sixteen days, in honour of the dearly departed and offering them food and water through birds and brahmins (priests). This year (2024) Pitru Paksha will be observed by Hindus from 17^th September to 2^nd October.

In the Christian tradition Sunday, third February is observed as Aneede Sunday. The Syriac word Aneede means the departed and thus observed as Sunday of all faithful departed souls. The Qingming festival, also known as Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors’ Day is a traditional Chinese festival observed on the fifteenth day after the Spring Equinox, in early April of any given year. It has been observed by the Chinese for over 2,500 years and is associated with the consumption of qingtuan or green dumplings made of rice and barley grass. The Japanese believe that the spirits of the dead visit the living and therefore propitiate them during the Obon festival, around mid-August.

Why Remember The Departed?

Although the loss of a loved one is sad, honoring the deceased and paying respects allows us to celebrate a life well lived. There are many reasons to celebrate the life of a loved one, but for many, these four reasons sum up why remembrance is important:

1. It helps the living acknowledge the reality that death is the only certainty of life.
2. It helps family and friends acknowledge the emotions associated with the death of our dear ones.
3. It helps acknowledge that the relationship with the person who has passed has shifted from physical presence to a spiritual one as a memory.
4. It helps one ponder and search for new meaning in life.

Specific Prayers And charity

Traditionally, prayers should be offered in all the five Geh (Watches) of the day and during the first five days, the Fra Mraot (i.e., chapter 20 of the Yasna) should be chanted or 1,200 Ashem should be offered. During the five Gatha days, the relevant Gatha may be chanted or 1,200 Yatha (a short twenty-one words’ prayer).

It is also considered meritorious to pray the Fravardin Yasht during these ten days. Praying the Stum no Kardo and Muktad no Namaskar before the Muktad vases is recommended. It is also considered meritorious to offer acts of charity in the name of the departed and offer Patet (repentance) for the soul (Patet Ravani) of near and dear loved ones.

Time For Reflection

These ten holy days provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the reality of life – through remembrance, devotion, prayers and acts of charity. More importantly, these holy days remind us to do all we can for those still with us – to value them, to cherish them, to love them and spend time with them while they are still alive. Once they are no more, we can only cherish their life and memories as we look at the silver vases with flowers in them.