Muharram (Moharam, Muharram; "Forbidden, Sacred," in Arabic)

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MUHARRAM (Moharam, muharram; "forbidden, sacred," in Arabic)

Name of the first month in the Islamic calendar. The first of Muharram is New Year's Day; the tenth of Muharram, the Feast of Ashura, commemorates at once the meeting of Adam and Eve, the end of the deluge, and the death of Husayn. Among the Shiʿa, Ashura is celebrated in distress, since they commemorate on this day only the death of Husayn. Before the Islamic epoch, the month of Muharram corresponded to a period of sacred repose. Concerning New Year's Day, the Iranians continue to celebrate the "Naw Rouz" (new light), the Sassanid New Year's Day, having survived the coming of Islam, which falls after the spring equinox, 21 March.



SEE ALSO Calendar, Muslim.

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Muharram (Moharam, Muharram; "Forbidden, Sacred," in Arabic)

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