Sadeh Ritual Performance

Sadeh is a winter fire festival with a history of thousands of years. In many places, its public form has either been limited or eliminated. Sadeh performance has never been stopped seriously in Kerman. It has turned into a local show which can be considered as a ritual performance. The theme revolves round light and darkness. The apex of the show- to kindle a great fire- has always been complemented by theatrical effects such as horsemen who attack the fire as winter army. The performance tries to show that a great warrior is bound for war. Food, as a part of this ritual performance, occupies a special position in the show which owns its particular temporal and spatial dimensions that joins all times and places together. Sadeh is also accompanied by a smaller show called Jashan Khani.