New Year's Eve

Our topic is Home culture. We engaged with the celebration of the New Year's Eve. Are there any differences? When do people celebrate it? What do they do?


The Islamic New Year

 

Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is the first day of the month of Muharram. It marks the Hijra when the Prophet Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina, and set up the first Islamic state.

 

The Muslim calendar counts dates from the Hijra.

 

A day in the Islamic calendar is defined at the beginning of the sunset.

 

Therefore, the Muslims celebrate the beginning of a New Year for two days.

 

A year lasts for about 354 days and consists of 12 months.

  

There are no specific rituals but Muslims think about the general meaning of Hijara and regard this as a good time for New Year's resolutions.

 

Different Islamic denominations[1] and cultures do different things to mark Muharram. Fasting varies among different Muslim communities. Some Muslims fast on or around the 10th day of Muharram to mourn[2] the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali. Some mosques[3] have free meals around the 9th or the 11th day of the Muharram.

 

However, there is also another way to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. This day can be opened with traditional brass music[4].

 

After that, there is a festive meal which consists of seven symbolic ingredients.

 

By doing this rite, Muslims want to have hope in the following year. Some of the ingredients include haw[5], pastries[6], mint, green ears[7] , an apple, vinegar and garlic[8].These groceries stand for luck, health, fertility and wellbeing in the Islamic faith.

 



[1] Glaubensgemeinschaften/la comunidad de creyentes/la fede della Comunità

[2] trauern/llevar luto/piangere

[3] Moscheen/la mezquita/moschee

[4] Blasmusik/música de instrumentos de viento/musica per ottoni

[5] Mehlbeere/la mojera/haw

[6] Süßgebäck/el bizcocho/pasticceria

[7] grüne Weizenähre/una espiga verde/grano verde

[8] Knoblauch/el ajo/aglio

 

 

(source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_New_Year)

Imagine that you are a Syrian refugee.

Your German friend wants to know how you celebrate the beginning of the New Year,

how long the celebration takes, when you celebrate it, what you eat ...