UTSC Iranian Students' Organization

The University of Toronto is hosting a virtual memorial for the victims of flight PS752. On the first anniversary of the downing of the flight PS752, we are holding a memorial for a chance to join together and to honour the lives of the eight UofT affiliates victims: Mojtaba Abbasnezhad, Mohammad Asadi Lari, Zeynab Asadi Lari, Mohammad Amin Beiruti, Mohammad Mahdi Elyasi, Zahra Hassani Saadi, Mohammad Amin Jebelli, and Mohammad Salehe.... Their memories will always remain in our hearts. Date: Sunday, January 10th, 2021 Time: 12 PM (Toronto), 8:30 PM (Iran) Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84714699871

Yald Night, also known as Chelleh Night, is an Iranian event celebrating the winter solstice on the Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice occurs on the day with the longest night-time of each year, which coincides with the last day of Azar, the nineth month of the Iranian calendar. Initially, Yald Night was of religious significance to Iranians when Zoroastrianism was the predominant religion in Iran. Therefore, the traditions were put into place to protect people from e...vil. Although the significance of this night has been long lost, it still is celebrated by most Iranians. During Yald Night, friends and family members gather to enjoy the festivities of this night together and the celebration is continued until well after midnight. Food plays an important point in the celebrations. The most significant foods consumed on this night include nuts and fruits, especially watermelons, pomegranates, red apples, pears, persimmons, and cooked beets. In addition, tales and anecdotes are told throughout the night and poems are read, especially poems from the Dvn of Hafez, by the older individuals present in the celebration. See more

Azar is the guardian god of fire and Forouzeh is Ahuramazda. In Iranian culture, fire is one of the praiseworthy natural phenomena because it causes the heat of life to flow in the body of other phenomena of existence and illuminates the souls and hearts of Ahura Mazda's companions with its light, which is a sign of Ahura Mazar. Fire nurses take care of it in the fire temple. Azargan celebration is one of the special fire celebrations in Iranian culture which is held in pr...aise of Azar Ahura. Our ancestors considered Azargan as a blessed day and lit fires in houses and roofs and celebrated that day with joy and happiness and reciting prayers and spreading the ritual table with various foods in the decorated fire temples. During the festivities, they would burn fragrant and fragrant wood on the fire, and then, on the occasion of the onset of cold, from the blazing fire in the firebox, everyone would take firewood home, and that fire would burn in the houses until the end of winter, and they would not let it go out. They knew Nik Farjam and Farkhondeh. One of the prayers that is recited in Azar on the day of each month, including Azar Rooz from December, is called "Fire of Prayer", which is the fifth of the five prayers of "Khard Avesta". See more

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There are twelve gods and goddesses in ancient Persian mythology, one of which is Anahita. Anahita is the ancient Persian goddess of fertility, water, health, healing, and wisdom. Abanegn is one of the ancient Iranian feasts, celebrated on the tenth of Abn, the eighth month of the Iranian calendar. This celebration is dedicated to praising and praying to Anahita. On this day, those who celebrated Abanegn, especially women, went to nearby seas, rivers, or springs and read prayers to praise Anahita and to ask for the abundance of water. In addition, they went to fire temples to pray to Hormazd, the creator and the highest deity of Zoroastrianism. After completing their prayers, they continued their celebrations by participating in various festivities.

Today Oct 28, is Cyrus the great day. He was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, the first Persian Empire. His empire, stretching from the Aegean Sea to the Indus River, was the largest that had ever existed at the time of his rule. Cyrus pieced his kingdom together using a mixture of conquest and diplomacy, attesting to his skills as a warrior and a statesman. Cyrus went down in history as one of the most benevolent conquerors of all time, allowing his subjects to liveand... worshipas they pleased. He is also remembered as a tolerant and ideal monarch who was called the father of his people by the ancient Persians. The figure of Cyrus has survived throughout history as more than a great man who founded an empire. He became the epitome of the great qualities expected of a ruler in antiquity, and he assumed heroic features as a conqueror who was tolerant and magnanimous as well as brave and daring. The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay cylinder, now broken into several pieces, on which is written a declaration in Akkadian cuneiform script in the name of Persia's Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great. This ancient record has now been recognized as the world’s first charter of human rights. See more