2022-03-18T09:35:00-08:00
Do the Chinese celebrate the night of the middle of Sha`ban?
In general, the night of the middle of Sha`ban has a special place everywhere in Yemen, but my city is distinguished from the rest of the cities of Yemen by special rituals on this night, and because of that difference, many city residents are wondering about the secret behind these rituals and customs and their origin.
Shabaniyah Night Rituals (Night of Half Shaban)
Before the night, the city’s residents were preparing, by making cakes, dhamool (a type of pastry), razanah (a type of pastry), and tanfash (popcorn), and preparing the porridge meal to eat at night (wheat flour mixed with water, heated over a fire, and eaten with broth or milk). Or honey). Buying sweets, juice, new clothes for the children, candles, and lanterns. In the past, families used to make lanterns themselves (a piece of cloth rolled into the shape of a long pen and dipped in oil and burnt frankincense).
The truth is that the joy of the night of the middle of Sha’ban was greater than the joy of other holidays, perhaps because of its uniqueness with beautiful characteristics, and because of the many rituals that people practice in order to complete the night of Sha’ban. It is not like other holidays that are limited to visiting family only.
After sunset on the night of the middle of Shaban…the houses have prepared cakes and pastries, small bags filled with popcorn and inside them (sweets), a candle, cakes and money, and these bags are distributed to the children of the neighborhoods who come to visit the houses to celebrate the night of Shaabaniya. They offer them drinks. As for the residents, they gather and eat pastries and porridge (eating porridge is an ancient custom), and as for the children, they wear new clothes. Then, men and women go to visit family and relatives at night, with candles or lamps in their hands.
It is a great festival and celebration…and most of its days are blessed by all people, and the city is filled with crowding and the smell of incense in every house and mosque.
But what distinguishes this celebration is the icon of the festival and that night, which is a model of the Shabaniyah camel (a large wooden figure covered with cloth, well cared for, and inside it are three people carrying out a campaign). When the camel arrives, and he is accompanied by the camel’s groom, he sings the evening of Shaban. (I don’t know what you’re saying, but I wish I knew the words of that evening.) Then the camel dances to the beat of the drums, and the children and the residents of the houses gather around him, and he dances in harmony with the drums and the night, and the residents of the houses take their children and place them on top of the camel while dancing. Fear and crying always accompany children when a frightening camel arrives, especially girls, as the Shaabaniya camel is more terrifying to girls than to boys.
The truth is that there was not one camel, but rather several camels made by many people, and there were the large camel and the small camel. The large camels are specific to the families that have inherited this work, and the small camel designs the children of the neighborhoods with their limited ability, and if the camel’s arrival is delayed, he goes out. Everyone visits the family, accompanied by the children, carrying candles, lanterns, and lanterns. The children also go to the homes of the neighborhoods and knock on their doors, carrying candles, lanterns, and lanterns. They celebrate the Shabaniya night over them, singing the night’s songs that say:
Except in the evening……night, oh night. Except in the evening……..the night of Shaabaniyah
Except in the evening……. I came to stay with you in the evening. Until evening…Marry me your daughter
Except in the evening….. I came in the evening from Yarim. Except in the evening….. with ghararah and shreem
Except in the evening….. I came from Aden in the evening. Until evening…they sprinkled me with milk
……
……
……
……
An occasion in which there is more rejoicing than a religious ritual, as well as the vocabulary of the chants and songs accompanying this night, which begin with the word (ala), and this word is famous in songs of weddings and jubilation, and which is abundant in agricultural and wedding songs, according to the interpretation of researcher Nizar Abdo Ghanem. Concerning an interpretation of that word, which is frequently found in songs and mehjil (agricultural songs sung by peasants), he says that that word is only said in songs that contain rejoicing and joy.
Children receive bags filled with popcorn, cake, candy, candles, and money (Haqq al-Shabaniyah) and receive drinks.
As for the mosques, they are filled with dhikr, cheers, and the smell of incense and rose water, and some families hold Mawlid Dhikr in their homes.
This is roughly the form of rituals in my city, which the relatively modern generation has known, and there are other customs that were ancient and have disappeared.
What is the origin of the night of the middle of Sha`ban in general?
The truth is that I used to ask myself this question in the past, trying to search for a meaning for this celebration, especially since it is not a religious celebration. I mean, it is not considered a celebration ordered by Islam. If there was a holiday ordered by Islam, it is Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and for this reason I asked myself what is power? Who imposed this celebration on people even though it has no religious text, but why does it receive all this joy and attention that exceeds the joy of other holidays?
My research process developed over time to find an explanation for this celebration.
The beginning of arriving at the explanation was that I thought that a celebration was for my city only, but then I rejected this explanation… because one day I was visiting one of the coastal cities of Yemen (Al-Hudaydah), and I happened to be there on the day of the middle of Sha’ban, so I saw the extent of the people’s joy. And the extent of the many rituals that people carry out on the day of the middle of Sha`ban, to the point that they call this day (Joy), an indication of how happy people are on that day. People bring cakes, women engrave their hands with henna, and people go out with their families from Morocco and tan until the morning.
I knew that this holiday is a special holiday for the residents of Yemen, perhaps an ancient inheritance from ancient times from the days of ancient pagan religions, and this interpretation continued with me for a long time.
But then I rejected this explanation, when the Internet began to reach us and we learned about the customs of the region’s communities, when I also saw that most of the region’s residents also celebrate that night and have rituals very similar to those in Yemen.
I came to the conclusion that it was perhaps an Islamic celebration, but I remained curious to know the reasons for the accompanying rituals that accompanied it (cakes, candles, camel, marriage, moon).
This interpretation dominated me for a long time, but with time I abandoned this interpretation, when I saw something strange and striking, which raises many questions, which is the existence of a non-Muslim society that has a celebration similar to the celebration of the middle of Shaban, and they are the Chinese who have a holiday called (the Moon Festival). There are rituals similar to this celebration.
What is the reason….. I asked myself?
Is it an ancient ritual older than Islam?
I continued to be curious to know and explain the reason, and to explain the reasons behind those symbols accompanying this holiday (cakes, wax, the moon, marriage), and with my extensive reading, especially Western anthropology, I arrived at the conclusion that it may be an ancient celebration from the ancient pagan religions that worshiped the moon and prevailed in the region and In the world, women were offered as sacrifices to the moon Allah, but Islam came and an Islamic color was given to it.
I continued with this interpretation for a long time, until I heard the word of Allah, and learned about the game that devils had designed on earth against people. I worked hard to erase the memory of society and replace it with a new memory, so I completely abandoned this interpretation, and I knew that the story had a natural origin linked to something natural and It is not linked to a king or a person, and people knew this natural thing, but people lost the meaning, and the original meaning was replaced by other false meanings linked to the new, fake memory.
Therefore, I tried to reach an objective, scientific answer that explains this celebration in many ways, for fear of the subject entering into the interpretation process.
So I asked myself….. If I asked the child inside me, which holiday did you like? Is it Shaaban Eid or Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha?
The child will say… Eid Shaaban without question.
Why did this child love Eid Shaaban more than Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha?
Because the child was very happy about this holiday from the beginning of the day until the late hours of the day for several days, and he felt that today was a blessed and great day.
Is this feeling an innate feeling linked to the first nature?!
This matter was an introduction to realizing that it is a real, original holiday for Muslims and has nothing to do with it being a celebration ordered by kings or the birth of people. It is certain that all the residents of the region rejoice in it and the joy continues for several days.
But I continued to be obsessed with searching for an explanation for this day and explaining the reasons for those symbols accompanying it (cereal products, wax, the moon, marriage)?
I believe that arriving at an answer to the interpretation now requires us to ask several questions and try to search for a logical and scientific answer. I also believe that the process of comparison will perhaps increase our proximity to knowing the correct answer.
When thinking about questions, they must focus on the symbols that accompany this celebration, because they will bring us closer to the meaning of this celebration.
– Grain products
Why is there such a keenness to make grain products on this Eid, such as cakes, porridge, and popcorn?!
Society celebrates grain products, but one day it will not find those grains to make products from, especially since grains have a specific season. I mean, what if the holiday is in the winter, how will grain products be available?
I asked myself: Is it not possible that this Eid always coincides with a fixed season of the year, coming after the harvest and goodness is abundant and present, so the Eid must be accompanied by these products continuously?!
Indeed, the harvest season is joyful for the farmer and the people, because goodness is abundant and society is filled with abundant goodness.
I asked myself: How can we say that it is a harvest festival when we know that agriculture is linked to the solar months and not the lunar months?
Does this holiday reveal the game of lunar months that are not compatible with the seasons of the year?
Was there one lunar-stellar account that all people had, but it was hidden and caused confusion? Based on this fact, the month of Shaban must always come in the harvest season, meaning that the eighth lunar month, Shaban, always came in the past in the harvest season.
I came to explain the reasons for accompanying cakes and porridge for that celebration.
– The symbolism of marriage.
Why do people at this celebration chant songs about asking to marry the owner of the house who is visited at night?
I think it is logical that after the harvest season, marriage increases, because it is a time when there is a lot of goodness in society. People have the ability to get married and offer dowries and money.
– The symbolism of the moon
Why, when popular tradition wants to describe the beauty of a woman, does it describe her like the moon of the middle of Sha`ban?!
Is the moon of half Sha`ban different from the moon of half Ramadan and different from the moon of half Shawwal?!
If society venerates the month of Ramadan and Dhu al-Hijjah more than Sha`ban, then why did it not describe a woman’s beauty according to the half moon of Ramadan or the half moon of Dhu al-Hijjah?!
Weird and strange
Is there a difference between the mid-months on the moon?!
Is there really a different half-Shaban moon, very large and very bright?!
Is it possible to differentiate between one month and another by the shape of the moon?
How will we know that the lunar month that will come during the harvest season will be the month of Shaban, since the lunar months cannot be differentiated?
We know that the solar month can be known approximately and easily, through the stars. When a star enters, we know that it is a specific solar month, and also because the solar months are accompanied by known natural changes. Our rainy season comes in abundance in certain months, such as August, and the cold weather comes in the month of August. December and so on. In other words, if you do not know how to read the calendar…..you can know the month by the stars in the sky or by observing the natural changes that occur such as snowfall or rain, etc.
But the lunar month cannot be differentiated from another lunar month, because it is not possible to know the month through natural changes. For example, the month of Ramadan comes once in a rainy season, once in a cold season, and once in a harvest season, and there is no sign that can be linked to its name. For a specific lunar month, except in one case only, if the moon has a fixed cycle in which one natural phenomenon occurs.
What if the phenomenon of the moon being at its closest point to the earth occurs once a year and that is the mark of the eighth month, and by this mark the months can be known, as the moon appears very large as if it were landing on the earth, and perhaps in this case it was The month of Shaban, which comes during the harvest season, especially since we know that our popular singing heritage sings about the month of Shaban and describes the beauty and face of the beloved as the moon of Shaban due to its great size and beauty.
– The symbolism of the camel
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Why did they make a model of a camel, and not of another animal, and what is the meaning of the camel dance?
Is it because the camel is associated with travel and carrying a bountiful harvest?
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All of these questions still require comparison with another society, which will help us interpret this celebration and its symbols. Searching for manifestations of such a celebration in another non-Muslim society would be more objective and bring us closer to the correct answer.
The truth is that China has an exact copy of this celebration, even if its symbols have different meanings. The project of cognitive obliteration that befell us is the same project that befell China.
how ?
First, we will inform you about the information about the Moon Festival in China, according to the interpretation of the official version.
– Origin and history
The Festival of Zhengzhou (Moon Festival) falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month according to the Chinese agricultural calendar, and it has an ancient history, as Chinese emperors in ancient times celebrated the sun in the spring and the moon in the fall. There are ancient manuscripts of Zhengzhou in the era of the Zhou Dynasty (between the two centuries 11 and 256 BC) recorded this.
The aristocrats and intellectuals of the emperors adopted this custom of enjoying the beauty of the full moon and expressing their warmth towards it on this day, and after that this custom spread among the people to form the manifestations of the traditional celebrations of the holiday.
This festival dates back more than 3,000 years to moon worship in China during the Shang Dynasty. In Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, it is referred to as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival. This holiday is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is usually in late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is the date that corresponds to the autumnal equinox in the solar calendar, that is, when the moon is round.
-Chinese folk legends
Mrs. Chang O flies to the moon
The powerful hero, Hu Yi, traveled to the Kunlong Mountains to visit friends and obtained a kind of magical medicine. It was said that a person would become immortal after taking it, but his beautiful wife, Zhang Ou, took the medicine and immediately flew from the window of the house to the moon.
Wu Gang cuts down a laurel tree in the moon
During the Han Dynasty more than two thousand years ago, there was a man named “Wu Gang” who wanted to become an immortal man, but he made mistakes, which angered the Emperor of Heaven and imposed a punishment on him by cutting down the laurel tree in the Moon Palace. He said to him: “If you cut the tree until it falls to the ground, you will become an immortal man.” But the reality is that whenever it is cut, the tree regains its original state and will not fall. Day after day passed, his wish did not come true.
Mooncake revolution
Legend has it that mooncakes were first made in the 14th century, when people exchanged pies that were stuck to scraps of paper with the words “Kill the Mongols on the 15th day of the 8th month.” It is said to have been a secret message from the rebel leader Zhou Yuanzhang calling on the Chinese to overthrow the Mongol rulers of the Yuan Dynasty.
The traditional food of this festival is moon cake, of which there are many types in these countries. It is one of the most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, and it is an official holiday. In Chinese tradition, Chinese family members and friends gather on this day to enjoy the bright Mid-Autumn Moon and eat mooncakes together.
Prince Rabbit
It is said that in ancient times, the plague was spreading in the city of Beijing, so the moon goddess Chang’e sent her rabbit to treat the disease for humans, and the rabbit went from house to house inside and outside the city, riding a horse, deer, lion, or tiger to treat the sick. The residents of the city gave him many gifts in gratitude, but the rabbit did not accept anything, but rather borrowed the dress from them.
– customs and traditions
* Enjoying the beauty of the full moon
The full moon is round and large on the fifteenth day of every month according to the Chinese agricultural calendar, so people like to sit with their family members and friends outdoors on the night of this holiday to enjoy the beauty of the full moon and taste fresh fruits.
* Eat moon cake
Mooncakes are an essential delicacy on the holiday, as they are served to friends and family members and carry moral and educational implications that lie in family reunification. There is a Chinese saying that says, “The moon becomes full on the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the mooncake tastes delicious.”
*Marriage mediation
The Chinese believe that the Moon Allah is a highly competent matchmaker. In some parts of China, masquerade parties are held on the Mid-Autumn Festival for young men and women to find a partner
* There are a number of traditions accompanying the celebration, including: eating moon cake under the moonlight, placing pomelo peels on the head, carrying lighted lanterns, lighting lamps on towers, burning incense in honor of the gods including Zhang, planting mid-autumn trees, collecting Dandelion leaves and distributed evenly among family members, fire dragon dance.
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Now compare the symbols that accompany the night of the middle of the month of Shaban with the symbols of the Moon Festival in China.
Our celebration comes in the middle of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, and the Moon Festival in China comes in the middle of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
On the night of the middle of Sha`ban in our country, cakes are made, and on the night of the Moon Festival in China, moon cakes are made
– On the night of the middle of Sha`ban in our country, we carry candles and lanterns, and on the night of the Moon Festival in China, people carry lanterns.
– On the night of the middle of Sha`ban here, we visit family and relatives, and on the night of the Moon Festival in China, they visit family and relatives.
On the night of the middle of Sha`ban in our country, people burn incense, and on the night of the Moon Festival in China, the Chinese burn incense.
On the night of the middle of Sha`ban in our country, an anthropomorphic camel is danced, and on the night of the Moon Festival in China, an anthropomorphic dragon is danced.
On the night of the middle of Sha`ban in our country, we sing marriage songs, and on the night of the Moon Festival in China, they believe that it is the best time to propose marriage.
– We sing of the beauty of the half-moon of Shaaban, and the Chinese sing of the beauty of the half-moon of the eighth month.
After this comparison, go back to our previous answers that we got, and note the presence of these answers on the Moon Festival in China.
– We have reached an explanation for the reasons for the abundance of grain products on this holiday, and we said that it cannot be explained except that it was related to the harvest, and when you go to the Moon Festival in China, you will find that in fact, this holiday is a celebration of the harvest in China.
– We have reached a high probability that Shaban was fixed in the past and only came during a fixed season, always in the harvest season, and when you go to the Moon Festival in China, you will find that it is actually fixed in China and only comes during a fixed season annually between September and October is the same harvest season we have in Yemen.
We have arrived at an explanation for the reasons for singing about the moon of the middle of Sha`ban, and we said that it cannot be explained except that the moon has a cycle and is very large in the middle of Sha`ban, and when you go to the Moon Festival in China, you will find that China in the year 2021 celebrated this holiday, which coincided with the phenomenon of The full moon was very large in the sky.
We came to an explanation that the month of Shaban was fixed in terms of the seasons, and we said that the harvest cannot be explained except that the lunar months are linked to the seasons in a fixed manner within one calendar, and when you go to China, you will find that the Chinese lunar calendar is fixed with the seasons of the year and the Moon Festival does not come. Except between September and October.
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Finally…the striking thing from all of the above is the discourse of the Qur’an. The discourse of the Qur’an only links the calculation of years to the moon, or in other words the moon is not only for knowing the days, but for knowing the number of years, or in other words the moon is the basis of the calendar, and it is as if it speaks About the natural cycle of the moon through which the number of years can be known, and the speech was telling you about the moon being a natural clock or a natural calendar that gives you the day, month and year.
{It is He who made the sun a brightness and the moon a light and ordained it for stations so that you may know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create that except with the truth. He details the signs for a people who know.}
{And the moon We destined for stations until it returned like the old crescent moon}
Perhaps a scientific study of the celebration of the night of the middle of Sha`ban, and an objective study of the popular culture associated with it after removing the legacy of the printer’s books, will help us understand much of the Qur’an’s discourse about the phases of the moon and will help us in the process of reforming the calendar in force these days.