From sewing Murad bag to baking tareh halvasi in the month of Ramadan in West Azerbaijan

The culture of Ramadan is full of cultural elements, each of which has a special place for itself, both in terms of individual and collective and social traditions and behaviors, and at a glance, its cultural forms among the Muslims of the world. The people of West Azerbaijan, both Shia and Sunni, based on the long-standing tradition of welcoming the month of Ramadan, start fasting a few days before the beginning of this month and go ahead of it, but what is related to the special customs of the month of Ramadan, starting with This blessed month begins with the announcement of the entry into the month of Ziafatullah.
In the not-so-distant past, on the night of the beginning of the month of Ramadan, to see the crescent moon in the cities and villages in the last days of the month of Sha’ban, people used to go to the roofs of houses to see the crescent moon and by observing the crescent moon and saying salutations and prayers, the arrival of this month was celebrated. They congratulated each other.

Looking in the mirror and sending blessings

Hasan Sepharfar, an anthropological researcher of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of West Azarbaijan, said: looking into the mirror with the clear intention of the heart and salutations upon Muhammad and his family after seeing the crescent moon is still a custom among the people of the province. Because people believe that during the month of Ramadan, the heart of a believer should be smooth and clear like a mirror and be polished from impurities.
In the past, some old men always had a small mirror in their pocket, and after looking at the mirror, they would turn the mirror around themselves and their family several times, saying blessings.

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Bake Halavasi leeks

He considered the baking of tare halvasi as one of the other traditions of the people of this country and said: in the villages of West Azerbaijan, rural women before the beginning of Ramadan, like Nowruz, with the intention that if the house is not clean, the blessings of the month of God’s feast will escape from it. It is possible, they would dust the furniture and prepare all kinds of food and sweets such as “Tere Halavasi” and sweets for the people of the house and their guests.

Sepehrfar added: “Yaghli Fatir” or “Arde” is also common among the rural families of West Azerbaijan during the month of Ramadan. In addition to being consumed on the family’s iftar table, it is also a blessing to each other and they believe that the one who If he eats the bread, he will not be hungry during the day.

In the villages of the province during the holy month of Ramadan, people are often informed about the religious times by the village muezzins, the movement of the stars and finally the morning call of the local roosters.

Among the common people, the time of eating suhoor is known as “obash dan liq” that in the past days, the village muezzin would go on the roof of the village house or mosque and announce the time of suhoor with a loud voice and prayers.

Such a similar custom among Sunnis is known as Kabarkhani and… which is usually performed by Sunni clerics. One of the good traditions of this month is that most families try to break the fast for their relatives and friends at least once during this month. to give

It is still customary to give collective iftar for the poor in some urban and rural mosques of the province during the nights of Ramadan. The most common light food for families to break the fast is usually Suotashi (rice milk) or porridge.

In addition to this, preparing different types of soup such as Qatiq Ashi, soup noodles, broth and rice and putting some dates or salt and warm water are some of the foods that fasting people break their fast with, family breakfast often includes bread and cheese, sweet tea or butter and jam. And it is milk.

Praying and worshiping in the month of Ramadan, at the level of mosques after breaking the fast in the cities and villages of West Azerbaijan, has a different attraction and atmosphere, as the enthusiasm and mood of people attending the religious rituals of the mosques reaches its peak in the nights of Qadr and most of the time, Believers spend these days in mosques and reading prayers.

Murad bag sewing

This researcher stated: One of the rituals that was performed in mosques and still remains as a custom in some regions is sewing “Murad bags”, on the last Friday of Ramadan, each woman and girl gets a new piece of cloth. And they take Pak with them to the mosque, sew a small bag for themselves, and put some coins inside it as “Kise Dibi” (Kise Murad), which they consider to be a source of blessing.

Arafat Akhashami

Sepharfar said: The day before Ramadan, which is known as “Arafat Akashami” among the people of West Azerbaijan, is the day of visiting the graves and preparing items for Eid al-Fitr.

On the day of Arafa, the people of the villages and cities of the province visit the graves en masse, and they give halwa or dates and naqil that they have brought with them to the people, they wash the gravestones, and they recite the Qur’an and read a Fatiha to forgive the souls of their dead, the day of Arafa Also, the head of the family, by calculating the amount of natural allowance of the people, separates it from the annual strength or from their income and gives it to the poor.

If a person is not able to provide the fitriyeh in the same days, he guarantees and sets aside precious things such as a copper pot, etc., so that he can release it after compensating the fitriyeh.

Qara Bairam

He clarified: After the announcement of Eid, believers gather in mosques to offer Eid prayers, and after that, they go to visit families who have recently lost a loved one, and it is called “Qara Bayram” (Black Eid). After this visit, family elders gather at that person’s house after congratulating Eid and having lunch.

According to ISNA, in general, from the anthropological point of view, the holy month of Ramadan, the month of Amsak and fasting, is seeking forgiveness, cultivation and piety, which shows that people are engaged in praying for self-cultivation, and on the one hand, humanitarian elements such as charity and benevolence for relatives and the poor. It is from mercy and avoiding sin and paying attention to the mood of believers and understanding each other about how to strengthen and harmonize humanitarian and social relations and religious behaviors, etc., that leads a person to more internal control and social solidarity and raising the spirit of convergence.