Mehregan

Mehrgan ( Persian: Mehregān‎‎ or Jaŝne Mehregān Jaŝne Mehregān Mehr Festival) is a Zoroastrian and Persian (Iranian) festival celebrated since the Zoroaster era to honor the Yazata of "Mehr" (Persian: Mehr‎‎), which is responsible for friendship, affection and love. It is also widely referred to as Persian Festival of Autumn.

Introduction

Mehrgan was once a Persian festival, but possibly older, with it origins still remaining in the realm of speculation. By the 4th century BC, it was observed as one of the Zoroastrian name-day feasts, a form it retains today. Still, in a predominantly Islamic Persia, it is one of the few pre-Islamic festivals that continue to be celebrated by the public at large.

Name-day feasts are festivals celebrated on the day of the year when the day-name and month-name dedicated to a particular angel or virtue intersect. Concerning Mehrgan, the Mehr day in the Mehr month also corresponded to the day farmers collected their crops. They thus also celebrated the fact God had given them food to survive the coming cold months. Today, only two of these name-day feasts continue to have a wide following in (predominantly) Islamic Iran. These are Mehrgan, dedicated to Mehr, and Tirgan, dedicated to Tishtrya/Tir.