馃彺 Ashura and Arbaeen
A Shia Muslim festival family centered on Karbala remembrance, mourning processions, food distribution, and pilgrimage, with strong regional forms in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, and Lebanon.
Open in the 3D map- Indonesia 路 Tabuik Festival 路 West Sumatra
- Bahrain 路 Capital Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Capital
- Bahrain 路 Muharraq Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Muharraq
- Bahrain 路 Northern Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Northern
- Bahrain 路 Southern Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Southern
- Iran 路 Ilam Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Ilam
- Iran 路 Kermanshah Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Kermanshah
- Iran 路 Khuzestan Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Khuzestan
- Iran 路 Lorestan Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Lorestan
- Iran 路 Razavi Khorasan Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Razavi Khorasan
- Iran 路 Qom Ashura and Arbaeen 路 Qom
- Iran 路 West Azerbaijan Ashura and Arbaeen 路 West Azerbaijan
Traditions and customs
- ancestor rites
- offering distribution
- welcoming and sending spirits
- mourning procession
- elegy recitation
- food distribution
Food and symbols
- offering fruit
- rice cakes
- family feast
- charity rice
- stewed meat
- sweet tea
When it is celebrated
Ashura and Arbaeen timing: The tenth of Muharram and forty days after it. It usually falls in June, July, or August.
Shared roots and regional differences
Shared roots: charity rice, elegy recitation, food distribution, mourning chants, mourning procession, procession drumming, stewed meat, sweet tea
Iraq regional differences
- Babylon Ashura and Arbaeen (Iraq 路 Babylon): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
- Baghdad Ashura and Arbaeen (Iraq 路 Baghdad): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
- Basra Ashura and Arbaeen (Iraq 路 Basra): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
- Dhi Qar Ashura and Arbaeen (Iraq 路 Dhi Qar): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
- Diyala Ashura and Arbaeen (Iraq 路 Diyala): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
- Karbala Ashura and Arbaeen (Iraq 路 Karbala): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
Cross-cultural versions
- Tabuik Festival (Indonesia 路 West Sumatra): ancestor rites, offering distribution, offering fruit, rice cakes, chanting, ritual drumming
- Capital Ashura and Arbaeen (Bahrain 路 Capital): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
- Muharraq Ashura and Arbaeen (Bahrain 路 Muharraq): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
- Northern Ashura and Arbaeen (Bahrain 路 Northern): mourning procession, elegy recitation, charity rice, stewed meat, mourning chants, procession drumming
Ashura and Arbaeen
Ashura and Arbaeen matters because it turns memory, respect, and shared cultural continuity into a visible cultural system of time, place, family, and public ritual.
Customs
- ancestor rites
- offering distribution
- welcoming and sending spirits
- mourning procession
- elegy recitation
- food distribution
Food
- offering fruit
- rice cakes
- family feast
- charity rice
- stewed meat
- sweet tea
Music / Dance
- chanting
- ritual drumming
- mourning chants
- procession drumming
FAQ
What is Ashura and Arbaeen?
A Shia Muslim festival family centered on Karbala remembrance, mourning processions, food distribution, and pilgrimage, with strong regional forms in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, and Lebanon.
When is Ashura and Arbaeen celebrated?
Ashura and Arbaeen timing: The tenth of Muharram and forty days after it. It usually falls in June, July, or August.
What traditions are associated with Ashura and Arbaeen?
Common traditions include ancestor rites, offering distribution, welcoming and sending spirits, mourning procession, elegy recitation, food distribution.