Maidyoshahem

The Zoroastrian community honors the six seasons of the year by celebrating six Gahambars- the word gahambar means "proper season". Each of these six festivals is celebrated for five days, and each honors one of the six material creations: The heaven, water, earth, flora, fauna and man.

Maidyoshahem (may-eed-YO-sha-hem) is the second Gahambar, the Midsummer Rain feast, and it takes place each year from June 29 to July 3. This Gahambar celebrates the creation of water on our earth, and the last day is called Tirgan (pronounced Teer-gone), in honor of Tir, the angel of rain.

Iranians celebrate Tirgan with dancing, singing, and by swimming and splashing water on each other.

Agenda this week:
1. Recite a Prayer
2. Make a Persian Salad
3. Get wet!

1. Recite a Prayer:
The first four days of Maidyoshahem are devoted to services, and reciting prayers. Zoroastrians turn towards a flame while praying, which symbolizes the fire of creation and the spiritual flame within each of us. And so I will stand before a candle flame to recite the Ashem Vohu (invocation of Asha) from the Avesta (Zoroastrian Book of Common Prayer).

The Ashem Vohu is a prayer with universal appeal. The word Ashem has many meanings: Law, Order, Beauty, Truth, Righteousness, Purity, Freedom. This one word expresses Divine truth, purity of body and mind, and all the beauty of nature. It's a central idea in Zoroastrianism. 

This prayer is like a mantra, to be chanted slowly. To hear it recited, go to this link.

ashem vohû vahishtem astî
Truth is the best good.

ushtâ astî 
It is happiness.

ushtâ ahmâi hyat ashâi vahishtâi ashem.
Happiness is to one whose truth (represents) best truth.

2. Make Persian Salad:

On the fifth day of a Gahambar, all the community comes together for a potluck feast, with traditional Persian dishes: Papeta-ma-ghosh, Iranian soup, fried bread, kharu-ghosh, ambakalio, cucumber salad, and ajil - a mix of seven different dried fruit and nuts.

The feast is payed for by those who can afford it. Food is prepared together by volunteers, and served by volunteers. Each person either donates food or helps to serve. The feast is a community get-together, when grudges are forgiven and forgotten, and friendships are formed or renewed.

Zoroastrians believe that the smell of good food attracts the Spiritual Beings, and so during a Gahambar the spiritual and physical beings are able to eat together.

Since it's usually warm at the time of Maidyoshahem, I usually make a Persian salad- this year a cooked salad with quinoa, broad beans, sweet potatoes, and kale.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 1-inch piece of ginger root
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground paprika
• 1 bunch kale
• 1-1/2 c. quinoa
• 2 c. vegetable stock
• 1 can of broad beans
• 1/2 c. pistachios, toasted, coarsely chopped
• Lemon wedges

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Peel and chop the sweet potato into very small cubes. Spread a tablespoon of olive oil on a cookie sheet and toss the sweet potatoes until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and a little crispy.

2. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and grate the ginger. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.

Onions and spices

3. Remove the stems and chop the kale very finely. Rinse and drain the quinoa and add with the stock and the kale to the onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid evaporates and quinoa is al dente.

4. Rinse the broad beans then stir into the pot with the sweet potato and 1/2 c. chopped pistachios. Season with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.

3. Get wet!