Mehregan Festivity, as the second grand celebration of the ancient Iranians, is being prepared for world registration. This old feast is also known as the Persian Thanksgiving.
According to ISNA, quoting the public relations of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Research Institute, Alireza Hassanzadeh, director of the Anthropology Research Institute and the organizer of the project, said: some say in ancient times, the beginning of autumn was the beginning of the new year. They held Mehregan Festivity and then switched to Nowruz.
Hassanzadeh said that this festival will be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a joint ritual of Iran and Tajikistan, adding: “This ritual is currently held in the rural Zoroastrian communities of Iran and the people of Tajikistan.”
He considered Mehregan Festivity as a ritual of gratitude for God’s blessings and stated: Mehregan Festivity is a discourse that invites people to establish a peaceful relationship with nature and to appreciate the divine blessings that are natural wealth.
A member of the faculty of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Research Institute said:
“The study of this religion in Iran and Tajikistan shows the cultural and civilizational roots of the two countries. It proves that these two lands have inseparable roots of friendship.”
Hassanzadeh also said: “In a situation where the world is full of environmental damage, this Mehregan Festivity calls on human beings for sustainable development and protection of nature for the future.”
The director of the Anthropology Research Institute said that this case, will be open for discussion at the next meeting of the Intangible Heritage Registration Council. This meeting is likely to be held in the fall.
The Mehregan celebration file is being prepared for world registration at the suggestion of the Office for the Registration of Works and the Preservation and Restoration of Spiritual and Natural Heritage at the Anthropology Research Institute.