Sofreh-ye hazrat-e Abbas

also known as Abul Fazl, and Qamar-e Bani Hashem, “the moon of the Hashemites”

Appears in

Published 2011

About

He is a revered Shiite warrior, protector of the martyred Imam Husayn (his half-brother). He was the son of Hazrat-e Ali and Fatemeh (Ali’s second wife, not the Fatemeh-ye Zahra who was Ali’s first wife and the daughter of Prophet Mohammad). This is the most elaborate of the charity sofrehs. The special dishes are mixed dried fruit and nuts, halva, sholeh zard, varieties of sweets, fresh fruits, a variety of rice dishes, hearty soups, and porridges.

In the pages that follow, I give some details of pre-Islamic ceremonial sofrehs and rituals still practiced by Iranians, both inside and outside the country, to celebrate marriage, the new year, and the earth and its seasonal transitions. They all serve to bring people closer to nature.

Part of

Ceremonies

Ceremonial Settings