TEHRAN -- On the eve of the blessed birthday of Imam Mahdi (AS) and a few weeks before the arrival of Nowruz, the Hazrat Ruqayyah (SA) Mosque in the Iranian city of Shiraz hosts a unique celebration.
The ritual of cooking 25 tonnes of Samanu was held in the mosque, where people gathered to pray for health while stirring Samanu with long ladles, iFilm reported.
The ritual of cooking such a large quantity of Samanu is a symbol of the community’s unity and an expression of joy and hope.
This year, Iranians celebrate the birth anniversary of the twelfth Shia Imam, Imam Mahdi, on March 8.
Samanu is made entirely of germinated wheat and water, and making the dessert is just one of the harbingers of Nowruz, which marks the beginning of spring and the start of a Persian new year.
Nowruz is celebrated across Iran and other parts of the world and is a time for family gatherings, feasting, and exchanging gifts.
As the sun set over Shiraz, Samanu was distributed among the attendees and the needy.
The event was a reminder of the enduring traditions of Iranian culture and a celebration of unity among the Iranian people.