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| Culture Class: Holidays in Iran,Season 1, Lesson 25 - Funeral Ceremony |
| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Iran Series at PersianPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Iranian holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 25, Funeral Ceremony. In Persian, it’s called maraasem-e tashi-e jenaazeh. |
| Have you ever been invited to a funeral? Traditions associated with funerals vary widely across cultures. |
| In this lesson, we will learn about mourning rituals and ceremonies held in Iran when a relative or family member passes away. We will also talk about the rituals of funeral ceremonies among Zoroastrians and Muslims. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question- |
| Why are halva and dates commonly distributed during funeral ceremonies? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| Funeral ceremonies are carried out in multiple stages in Iran. The first step for any funeral ceremony is washing the body, or badan in Persian. In the past, the body was always washed by relatives of the same sex, using soap and water. Then, the body was covered with a long white cotton cloth called kafan, after which it was laid inside a wooden coffin before being carried to the cemetery, or ghabrestaan. Burial ceremonies were only performed after sunrise, at which point relatives and acquaintances would go to the cemetery and lay the body facing Mecca. |
| Ceremonies marking the third, seventh, and fortieth day after the death of a loved one are common traditions in Iranian society. During these days, relatives and acquaintances gather together and mourn, in order to commemorate their loved one and relieve the pain and sadness associated with the death of their family member. This is a time for the living to embrace the pain and sadness of losing a loved one by joining together in honor of their memory. |
| There are certain rituals that are carefully observed at any memorial. For example, all relatives and acquaintances of the deceased attending the ceremony wear black, or siah, the traditional color of mourning in Iran. Women avoid wearing makeup, dyeing their hair, polishing their nails, or removing their facial hair for forty days after the person’s death, and men avoid shaving their beard and body hair. |
| Zoroastrians believe that after death the body should be mummified to preserve it against contamination. They also believe that if the body is buried under the ground, it will contaminate the soil, or khaak, and that if it is dropped into the sea, it will contaminate the water. The biggest sin of all is burning a body with fire, as this is tantamount to contaminating a divine blaze. Therefore, Zoroastrians typically carry dead bodies to a high place called dakhmeh, or tower of silence, so that it may be eaten by vultures. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Why are halva and dates commonly distributed during funeral ceremonies? |
| Grief-stricken people often have no appetite for food; this causes the amount of sugar in the blood to fall and fluctuate, which can cause boredom, anxiety, impatience, and stress. For this reason, sweet, nutritious, and relieving foods such as halva and dates are often given to people at funerals in effort to combat the already stressed grievers. |
| So listeners, how did you like this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| Do funeral rituals and traditions observed in your country have anything in common with the Muslim or Zoroastrian traditions mentioned? |
| Leave us a comment telling us at PersianPod101.com! |
| And I’ll see you in the next series! |
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