Zoroastrianism as a Way of Life
Like most any religious tradition, Zoroastrianism includes many rituals, festivals, and rites of passage, the most important of which are considered in this section. But more so than most other religious traditions, perhaps because of its status as a minority religion, the Zoroastrian way of life is rooted in a tightly knit sense of community and the routine practice of well- established customs.
These customs can in turn be seen to reflect fundamental religious teachings. For example, Zoroastrian reverence for fire means that candle flames are not extinguished but rather allowed to burn out (although today birthday candles commonly are blown out). More generally, the deep-seated preference for light over darkness leads Zoroastrians to speak a blessing when a light is lit and to avoid killing roosters once they have begun to crow, for a rooster crowing signals the break of dawn and the return to daylight. Another fundamental Zoroastrian teaching, respect for life, is the basis for a general attitude of kindness toward animals. Custom dictates, for instance, that at mealtime dogs be fed prior to people.As we turn to considering religious rituals, festivals, and rites of practice, we will observe how consistently these same fundamental teachings—reverence for fire, light, and life itself—tend to underlie many aspects of the Zoroastrian way of life.
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