Sundays make sacred

Meeting compulsorily every Sunday will bring us together and help us in becoming more familiar with ourselves, our problems and above all our religion. We do not have to give up our holy days but we can at least do something to suit the modern industrial age in keeping us together.

The Roman Empire worshipped Mithra (our Zoroastrian Meherdata) as their religious deity and practised Mithraism from 68 BC to 394 AD. As Judaism observed Saturday as their holy day of the week, the Romans named Sunday (after the Sun God, Mithra) as their holy day of the week. This was adopted later on by the Christians in the fourth or fifth century AD. Additionally Mithra being born on December 25, the Romans celebrated the friendly Saturnalia on that day by giving presents to each other. However the aristocratic Romans were exclusive — that means women and commoners were not permitted in their fold. This resulted in the Romans becoming overwhelmed by the Christians who permitted everyone to join in. It is said that had it not been for this exclusiveness, Mithraism may have become the religion of the European continent.

Another practice that we can modify is the celebration of the navjote ceremony. In present day Iran, navjotes are performed in a group whereas in India and the North American continent we spend a fortune on individual ceremonies. It would be better if we perform navjotes every three/four months in a group with everyone (new Zoroastrians, parents and friends) participating in their various languages — Avesta, Gujarati, Persian and English. This should make us all very proud.

JEHANGIR MEDORA

Ontario, Canada