ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Zoroastrian

Have you ever heard of a group of people called the Zoroastrians? Well, they are a special group of people who live mostly in Iran and India, and they have a very interesting history and beliefs.

The Zoroastrians have been around for a very long time, for over 3,000 years! And their religion is one of the oldest in the world. Their religion is called Zoroastrianism, named after a prophet named Zarathustra or Zoroaster.

The Zoroastrians believe in one God, who they call Ahura Mazda. They believe that Ahura Mazda created the world and everything in it. They also believe that there is a force of evil in the world called Angra Mainyu, who is always trying to mess things up.

One of the most important things for Zoroastrians is to be good and do good deeds. They try to always do the right thing and be nice to people. This is because they believe that when they die, Ahura Mazda will judge them based on their actions in life, and only the good people will go to heaven.

The Zoroastrians have a lot of interesting practices and customs too. For example, they believe that fire is really important because it represents the light and warmth of Ahura Mazda. So they have a special fire that they keep burning all the time in their temples, called a "sacred fire". They always make sure to keep the fire burning, and they even have special prayers that they say while they're tending to the fire.

Another interesting thing about Zoroastrians is that they have a special place where they bury their dead. It's called a "tower of silence". They believe that the dead person's body is unclean and should not be buried in the ground or burned because that would pollute the earth and water. Instead, they take the body to the tower and leave it there for the birds and other animals to eat. This might sound strange to us, but it's actually a very respectful way to give back to nature.

Overall, the Zoroastrians are a very unique and interesting group of people with a rich history and culture. They have many beliefs and practices that might be different from what you're used to, but it's always good to learn about and appreciate different cultures and religions.
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