The special ceremonies of giving Iftari to relatives, praying at nights and staying up late until sahari and recalling the wonderful memories all return once again with the arrival of this holy month.
Ramadan is celebrated in different regions across the country with ceremonies unique to each region. It is fascinating to get to know the ceremonies and the celebrations in each region and province.
Iranian Turkmen are very rich in culture and variety of ceremonies and traditions. They have special ceremonies for almost every individual event.
In the month of Ramadan, the elderly, the youth and even the children participate in all the special ceremonies that take place this month.
Turkmen usually begin preparations a week before the arrival of Ramadan. The women are busy cleaning their homes while the men purchase most of the necessary food to be used during this month.
One of the many traditions is that the females of each region usually get together and clean the neighborhood mosque on the last Friday prior to the arrival of Ramadan.
Observing the new moon of Ramadan in the sky is always accompanied with a great excitement. They believe anybody who sees the crescent will attain an extra heavenly award.
Another worthwhile custom before Ramadan’s arrival is to reconcile those who are not on speaking terms with each other. Usually, a respected elder from each district invites those who are not speaking to each other to his house for tea and tries to conciliate them.
In Ardebil, Ramadan brings lots of joy and excitement into their families and includes preparation of special food for Ramadan. Ashe-dough is very popular on these evenings and is usually served at the time of Iftar. It is a dish prepared with yoghurt, rice, chick peas, little meat balls and a very delicious regional vegetable which makes the food taste a little bit sour. It is white and is served like soup before the main course. Some eat bread with this food.
People in Shiraz have their special ceremony of kholukhandazun (feasting the month of Ramadan).
In the evening of last Friday in the month of Shaban (the month before Ramadan,) all the people of different ages pick up a dirt clod and stand facing the Qiblah and say, “God, we are breaking the bad habits and all our sins and preparing ourselves for the holy month of Ramadan and fasting” and then forcibly throw the clod to the ground to break it.
Sahari (the meal eaten before dawn) in Shiraz is also replete with colorful varieties of food, cooked rice and regional types of cookies.
People in the city of Khomein and the villages of Markazi Province, have the tradition to awaken their neighbors to eat sahari. Every night one young adult picks a basin, turns it upside down and then raps on it with a piece of wood at each door until they awake and turn on a light. An elderly man also accompanies the boy and shouts, “Wake up, it is Sahar (dawn)”. They continue to do this in front of every door.
Like other people across the country, people in Markazi Province also stay awake to pray on the nights of the 19th, 21st, and 23rd of Ramadan, which are known as the ‘grand nights’, on one of which the entire Quran was sent down to the Prophet Muhammad (S). It is believed that Allah is extremely merciful to his servants on these nights.
The tradition of kisehduzi is also popular among the women in Hamedan. On the 27th day of Ramadan women take a piece of cloth to the mosque and sew one or more small purses. Next, they put some money inside the purses, read some prayers, and then blow on them. Finally, they place the purse in an old chest at home. The purse is called the ‘purse of blessing’ and people believe that they will never experience poverty in the future (due to the purse.)
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