Ayathrem

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.

Ayathrem is the fourth Gahambar, celebrating the creation of plants, the time to sow winter crops, and the season when the herds come home from pasture. It takes place each year from October 12th through the 16th.

Agenda this week:
1. Recite prayers
2. Make Aash-e-Reshte (noodle soup)
3. Sow fava beans

1. Recite Prayers:
The first four days of Ayathrem 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 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 Aash-e-Reshte (noodle soup):

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. Aash-e-Reshte, a delicious, rich noodle soup, is the meal normally served in Iran.

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 the Gahambars spiritual and physical beings are able to eat together.

Ingredients:

• 1/2-c. dry lentils
• 1/2-c. pearl barley
• 1 bunch fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 carrot
• 1 potato
• 1-3 tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1-lb. fresh spinach
• 1/2-lb linguine (or persian reshteh noodles)
• 1 can each chickpeas and red kidney beans
• 1 c. plain yogurt

Yield: 8 servings-

1- Pick over and rinse the dried lentils. Cover with 2 c. water, and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook the barley in another pot, covered with water, for about 30 minutes.

2- Meanwhile, clean the parsley and chop finely. Put into a large soup pot with 6 c. water or stock. 

Peel and chop carrot, potato & tomato. Add to the soup pot with salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes.

3- Slice the onions and fry in a little oil until they turn golden brown.

Add the chopped mint and turmeric to the onions, stir, and set aside.

4- Clean and chop the spinach and add to the soup pot. 





5- Add the noodles to the pot (I used fresh linguine which only took 3 minutes to cook).

6- When the noodles are cooked, add lentils, beans, chickpeas, and barley to the soup pot; simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. 






7- Place âsh-e in bowls, add a dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of onion mixture, and serve.

3. Sow fava beans:

The gahambars are seasonal festivals that originally provided an opportunity for the whole village to get together to share the labor required to finish the tasks of the season; for Ayathrem that is sowing the winter crops, so this is the day that I plant fava beans for a winter ground cover.