Reading: For today’s reading, we will start with an informative blog post introducing the most significant religious holidays observed in Iran. Then, we will turn to WikiShia to read a detailed article about the holy month of Ramadan and its significance in Shia Islam.
Listening: A documentary about Muharram in Iran, providing a glimpse into the various rituals and traditions observed during this time across different regions of the country (the original video on YouTube).
Subject of Conversation: Religious and secular festivals in Iran (جشن‌های مذهبی و غیرمذهبی در ایران)
In this discussion, students will talk about the major religious and secular festivals celebrated in Iran. They will compare different holidays and mourning ceremonies, discussing their social, cultural, and sometimes political significance. Students will be encouraged to use new vocabulary and expressions from the lesson to describe events, share their impressions, and ask each other questions. The goal is to help students practice speaking about cultural traditions in Persian while developing fluency, descriptive skills, and cultural awareness.
Homework:
- Please read today’s articles and study the vocabulary.
- Choose an Iranian holiday and write a short essay about it.
- Conduct some background research to be well-prepared for tomorrow’s discussion.
Vocabulary (Article 1, Article 2):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| اعیاد (مفرد: عید) | a‘yād (sing. eyd) | feasts |
| نماد | nemād | symbol |
| وحدت | vahdat | unity |
| همدلی | hamdeli | solidarity |
| همپا | hampā | counterpart |
| مهرگان | mehregān | Mehregan or Mithrakana, an ancient Iranian festival |
| مقایسه کردن | moqāyese kardan | to compare |
| گوسپندکشان | guspandkošān | Eid al-Adha (lit. sheep-slaughter) |
| اهل تسنن | ahl-e tasannon | Sunnis |
| روایت | revāyat | narration, tradition |
| اهل تشیع | ahl-e tašayyo’ | Shiites |
| مبعث | mab‘as | Prophet’s appointment to mission |
| اتفاق آراء | ettafāq-e ārā’ | unanimity |
| سالروز | sālruz | anniversary |
| توزیع | touzi’ | distribution |
| زادروز | zādruz | birthday |
| منجی | monji | saviour |
| به نحوی | be nahvi | in a way |
| قمری | qamari | lunar (related to lunar calendar) |
| روزه | ruze | fasting |
| واجب | vājeb | obligatory |
| فضائل (مفرد: فضیلت) | fazā’el (sing. fazilat) | virtues |
| رحمت | rahmat | mercy |
| مغفرت | maγferat | forgiveness |
| برکت | barakat | blessing |
| احادیث (مفرد: حدیث) | ahādis (sing. hadis) | Hadiths, prophetic traditions |
| نزول | nozul | revelation, descent |
| انجیل | enjil | the Gospel |
| نازل شدن | nāzel šodan | to descend, to be revealed |
| عبادت | ‘ebādat | worship |
| نقل شدن | naql šodan | to be narrated, to be told |
| تلاوت | talāvat | the act of reading Qur’an and contemplating upon it |
| احیا | ehyā | spiritual revival (esp. Night of Qadr) |
| استغفار | esteγfār | repentance; asking forgiveness |
| افطاری | eftāri | the food made during Ramadan to break the fasting in the evening |
| ص | sallā Allāhu ‘aleyh-e va aleh va sallam | peace be upon him (used after Prophet's name) |
| ع | ‘aleyh-e salām | peace be upon him (for Imams/prophets) |
| روزه‌داری | ruzedāri | fasting (the act) |
| آداب و رسوم | ādāb o rosum | customs and traditions |
| نظافت | nezāfat | cleanliness |
| کلوخ‌اندازان | koluxandāzān | pre-Ramadan soil-chunk throwing ritual |
Vocabulary (Listening):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| گیتی | giti | the world, the universe |
| پای گذاشتن | pāy gozāštan | to step into, to enter |
| حزن | hozn | sorrow, grief |
| مرزوبوم | marz-o-bum | homeland, territory |
| به رسم | be rasm-e | in the manner of |
| خویش | xiš | one’s own; self |
| نوا | navā | melody, song |
| سنج و دمام | sanj o damām | cymbal and drum (mourning instruments) |
| کربزن | karbzan | chest-beater (mourner in ritual) |
| نعره | na‘re | cry, roar, scream |
| نباتات | nabātāt | plants |
| جمادات | jamādāt | inanimate objects |
| مظلومیت | mazlumiyyat | oppression |
| شهادت | šahādat | martyrdom |
| پرطنین | portanin | echoing, resounding |
| فوج | fouj | regiment |
| صاحب‌زمان | sāhebzamān | Master of the Time (Imam Mahdi) |
| حلقه | halqe | circle, ring |
| سینه‌زن | sinezan | chest-beater (mourner in ritual) |
| ظالم | zālem | oppressor |
| چرخ گردون | čarx-e gardun | the revolving heavens, fate |
| شکوه کردن | šekve kardan | to complain |
| ندا | nedā | calling, voice |
| جگرسوز | jegarsuz | heart-wrenching |
| جنس | jens | kind, type |