New Year Festival of Faiths

"As this was an audience of lay people from different faiths, the presentation was kept very simple so that all could enjoy the gist of the religion,” mentioned Aban Daboo who had choreographed and scripted a 10-minute presentation for the New Year Festival of Faiths jointly organized by the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago and the Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church on September 20, 2015.

Active members of the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago at the New Year Festival of Faiths

Zoroastrian delegation at the New Year Festival of Faiths

Among the priests and active members of the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago (ZAC) who participated in the event were Ervads Freddy and Sheroy Gonda, Rayomand Ravji and Mobedyar Bomi Damkevala who dressed in their white jama and pugree, walked down the central aisle carrying a divo and reciting a short Zoroastrian prayer. The lady presenters, Zenobia Damania, Bachi Damkevala, Dinaz Weber, Amy Sumariwalla and Zarin Press were attired in kor ni saris while their male counterparts, Rohinton Rivetna, Rustom Icchaporia, Minoo Press wore duglis and topis. Under the leadership of Rivetna, the Zoroastrian contingent depicted their celebration of the New Year, notes Daboo. The colorful audiovisual inputs were handled by Ken Weber and Farida Shariyari.
The Zoroastrian presentation included audiovisuals of Persepolis, Herodotus and the lifestyle in Persia, muktad and haftsheen tables, congregational recitation of humbandagi, and distribution of the Navroz breakfast of sev and dahi to the gathering.
To explain the religion of "good life,” they referred to the New Year evenings filled with camaraderie and a strong sense of belonging at the family’s residence or premises of the Zoroastrian association. The presentation drew to a close with a recitation and translation of the Ashem Vohu and Yatha Ahu Vairyo prayers led by the mobeds.
The evening ended with a social hour when members of the Zoroastrian faith got to meet representatives of Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism and African American Protestant Christianity.