Mid-Sha’ban Ceremony in the Ahmadadabad City of Ardakan County

Most Iranian traditions are rooted in religious beliefs. These traditions are especially manifested in Muharram mourning, but it is not exclusive to mourning and many religious festivities are also manifestations of people’s traditions. Among the religious festivities, the Mid-Sha’ban, i.e. the birth date of the promised Mahdi, the twelfth Shiite Imam is considered one of the biggest occasions. From the beginning of the birth of Imam Mahdi (AS), the enemies were aware of God’s promise about the eradication of oppression at his hands, so they made a lot of effort to martyr him. The Imam (AS), thus, went into occultation about 1,200 years ago. However, according to the Shiite belief, he is in contact with certain special Shiites and is aware of the condition of his followers. One of the special festivities that is traditionally celebrated on Mid-Sha’ban in Iran is held in Ahmedabad; a festivity in which the elders celebrate the birthday of Imam Mahdi (AS) by giving eatables and gifts to their children.

Where Is Ahmadabad Located?

Ahmadabad is a city in Ardakan County of Yazd Province. There are two narrations about the history of this city, one of which attributes its foundation to the 13th century AD (7th century AH) and the other to the 14th century AD (8th century AH). Ahmadabad is currently known as one of the important producers of pistachios in Yazd Province.

Mid-Sha’ban Celebrations in Ahmadabad

The Mid-Sha’ban celebrations are held all over Iran during the eve and daytime of this great Eid. One or two weeks before Mid-Sha’ban, at the same time as the birthdays of Imam Hussain, Hazrat Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas, and Imam Sajjad, the celebrations known as “Shabaniyah” begin in Iran and continue until Mid-Sha’ban. Tourists who travel to Iran during these days will definitely have interesting memories of street lighting and the distribution of sweets and syrups on different streets. In addition to the usual celebrations, a special ceremony is held in Ahmadabad of Ardakan on the 14th day of Sha’ban that may not be seen anywhere else in Iran.

Every year, the people of this city prepare for the 14th day of Sha’ban by buying snacks and sweets. On the morning of the 14th of Sha’ban, after the morning call to prayer is said, people sweep and water the front of their houses to prepare for receiving their little guests, whose voices begin to gradually be heard in the alleys and streets. With their bags in their hands, children go door to door to be welcomed and treated by the owners. Welcoming their little guests, people put sweets and gifts in their bags. If the door of a house is closed, the children knock on the door by reciting special poems with humorous content, and after the door is opened the owner gives them their gifts. This ceremony is usually done by little girls and boys, and boys and girls who have reached the age of adolescence, do not participate in it in this way.

The ceremony begins after sunrise and continues until around eight in the morning, and seeing the little boys and girls carrying bags of food with great joy and their noise filling the streets is very enjoyable and memorable. After this ceremony is over, people get busy with their daily affairs and final preparations for the Mid-Sha’ban night celebration. The children also keep the food that they have taken as gifts to eat with their family on the morning of Eid.

People of Ahmedabad love to give gifts to children on this day and consider it auspicious. They consider Mid-Sha’ban as “Eid-e Barat”, that is, an Eid in which needs are fulfilled and sins are forgiven. Even financially disadvantaged families save throughout the year and prepare snacks to give children as much as they can afford. After reaching their teenage years, the children who participate in this ceremony, along with their parents, entertain the younger ones in the same way in order to keep this interesting custom alive.

The Mid-Sha’ban festivity or Eid-e Barat of Ahmadabad of Ardakan was inscribed on the list of Iran’s intangible national heritage in the year 2015 AD.

The Mid-Sha’ban celebrations are held all over Iran during the eve and daytime of this great Eid. One or two weeks before Mid-Sha’ban, at the same time as the birthdays of Imam Hussain, Hazrat Aba al-Fazl al-Abbas, and Imam Sajjad, the celebrations known as “Shabaniyah” begin in Iran and continue until Mid-Sha’ban.