The "Death of Prophet Zarathushtra" is a day of remembrance in the Zoroastrian religion.
It commemorates the anniversary of the death of the prophet Zoroaster, or Zarathushtra. It is observed on the 11th day of the 10th month. In the seasonal calendar, Zarthost No-Diso falls on December 26.
This day is marked as one of the most important days of mourning in the Zoroastrian religion.
Being an occasion of mourning, the day is characterized by delivering lectures and discussions on the life and works of Zoroaster.
Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgement after death, conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions and Gnosticism, Northern Buddhism, and Greek philosophy.
The founder of Zoroastrianism, Zoroaster is believed to have existed even before Muhammad, Buddha or Jesus walked the earth. His philosophies mainly dealt with good versus evil and the judgment of humans at the end of their life. Numerous religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are known to have been inspired by these beliefs and thoughts.
Many versions have been stated regarding the death of the prophet, Zoroaster. According to one legend, Zoroaster was killed in his 77th year at the altar in a fire temple by the Turanian army during the storming of Balkh, an ancient city and center of Zoroastrianism now in northern Afghanistan. Another legend states that the person killed was not Zoroaster as he ascended the skies by himself.
Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, is regarded as the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism. He is said to have been an Iranian prophet who founded a religious movement that challenged the existing traditions of ancient Iranian religion, and inaugurated a movement that eventually became a staple religion in ancient Iran.
He was a native speaker of Old Avestan and lived in the eastern part of the Iranian plateau but his exact birthplace is uncertain. Some scholars, using linguistic and socio-cultural evidence, suggest a dating to somewhere in the second millennium BC. Others date him to the 7th and 6th centuries BC.
He was highly regarded as a philosopher, mathematician, astrologer and magician by the Greeks.