![]() Say someone gives you food in a dish that you have to return (Iranians would never dream of giving you anything disposable- gasp!- Well, not unless it was nazri). This is a great tradition and one I propose we adopt in the US. Another time, I was around Tajrish Bazaar on a Thursday night, and a man was handing out bags of salt to passersby as his form of kheyrât.Ī box of dates as kheyrat | Photo by Kamyar Adl / Flickr Returning a dish with a gift inside The doorman told me one of the neighbors had put it there, so I took one and said a prayer. I entered a relative’s apartment building once and saw a box of zulbiâ-bâmieh in the lobby. Now obviously, 1) no one will know if you did or not and 2) you won’t know exactly who you’re praying for. If you take one, you say a prayer for the person. This usually happens on Thursday evenings (known as shab-e jomeh in Persian) because that’s a particularly auspicious time to pray for the deceased or visit them at the cemetery. Iranians put these out for the public in honor of loved ones who have passed on. You’ll be walking down the street and notice a random open box of sweets/dates/chocolates in front of a store. Kind of piggy-backing on the idea of nazri above is kheyrât / خیرات (charitable deeds). Sholeh zard (Iranian saffron rice pudding) | Photo by Hamed Saber / Flickr Kheyrât ![]() It’s an Arabic phrase that means “Peace be upon Mohammad and his descendants.”) When something is salavâti, it’s free but for a religious purpose and you’re supposed to send a salavât if you take it. If you take some, in exchange, you send a salavât / صلوات (consider this something like the Islamic version of a “hail Mary”. ![]() These are little kiosks that give out water and tea for free. It’s also during these times (or other religious ceremonies in general) that you’ll see istgâh-e salavâti. Many people truly believe that eating nazri, even just a bite, will bless them. It’s particularly common during Ramadan or the Islamic month of Muharram, when the ceremonies of Tasua and Ashura (the eve and day of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, respectively) occur. Nazri / نذری is the food (such as âsh, sholeh zard, gheymeh stew, etc.) that people make in massive quantities and distribute for religious merit. Then on your actual birthday? Crickets! You’ll notice that Iranians do this with Christmas and New Year’s, too, so expect to hear Merry Christmas on December 24th and Happy New Year on December 31st. Mainly because in my mind, there’s this build-up, and the day before you’re thinking, “How exciting! Tomorrow’s my birthday.” And that’s when the birthday wishes come flooding in. And while I appreciate any gesture acknowledging my birthday, I have to admit, there’s something a little disappointing about it happening the day before. Until one day I learned about the whole “eve” thing. I kept wondering why friends and relatives came so close to getting my birthday right but in the end missed the mark. This one confused me for the longest time. Typical Iranian pasties inside a confectionery Celebrating birthdays on the eveĪs long as we’re talking about celebrations, it’s important to know that Iranians celebrate birthdays on the eve. Iranians are always up to join you in your celebration- especially if there’s shirini involved! After moving into my new apartment, my friends asked, “Shirinish-o key midi?” (When are you going to give the sweets?), which is another way of saying sur dâreh. When one of my students was granted early leave from his military service, he didn’t wait for anyone to tell him sur dâreh and went ahead and brought a box of pastries to celebrate with the class. You could get some sweets or treat to dinner. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a party though. Friends and family might tell you “Sur dâreh!” (You have to throw a party ). It’s a party you throw in order to celebrate something you’ve bought that’s valuable (like a house or car) or another big occasion like a graduation or landing your dream job. The dictionary defines sur dâdan / سور دادن as “to give a party or banquet,” but it requires a bit more context. These are the things that only locals really get (at least for the time being). And while there are countless ones that I could write about, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite Iranian traditions and customs that are worth knowing about (aside from taarof, which I did not include on the list). Even though Iranians may consider some of these cultural customs ordinary and mundane, they are sure to raise a foreign eyebrow or two. As in any other country, Iran is ripe with quirks and eccentricities.
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