AFGHANS: Their History and Culture

Afghans celebrate the first day of spring with picnics.

Festivities

Afghan social occasions are predominantly family and extended family affairs. Picnics are important events on Fridays, the official government and religious holiday for Afghans. Many parties are for either male or female groups, and in rural areas of Afghanistan, if both sexes are invited, they often participate separately.

The most festive holiday celebrated by Afghans, and Iranians, is Nawroz, the new year celebration, which occurs on March 21, the vernal equinox. Literally meaning ‘new day,’ Nawroz is celebrated with picnics, similar to our cookouts. The festival has its roots in Zoroastrianism, a religion brought from Persia long before the rise of Islam. During the celebrations, lavish meals are prepared. Two dishes, samanak and haft-mehwah are specially cooked for the occasion. Samanak is a dessert made of wheat and sugar that can take two days to prepare. Haft-mehwah consists of seven fruits and nuts that symbolize the coming of spring.

As Muslims, Afghans celebrate Muslim holidays. The two most important holidays are ‘Eid al Fitr and 'Eid-al-Qurban. ‘Eid al Fitr marks the end of Ramazan, the month of ritual fasting associated with the lunar calendar. These holidays occur eleven or twelve days earlier each year, according to the Arabic lunar calendar, which is eleven or twelve days shorter than our solar calendar. Muslim communities in the United States celebrate these holidays in various ways, and Afghan refugees have no trouble in managing satisfactory celebrations.

‘Eid-e-Qurban, also known as ‘Eid-al-Adha, marks the preparation for hajj, which takes place during the 12^th month of the Muslim calendar, between the 7^th and 10^th days. ‘Eid-e-Qurban is celebrated on the 10^th day and centers on the ritual slaughter of a sheep or goat to commemorate Abraham’s sacrificial slaying of a sheep instead of his son Isaac. One-third of the slaughtered animal is used by the family, another third by relatives, and the rest is given to the poor. Friends also exchange presents during this time.

Afghan weddings are wonderful social events that can go on for days. The wedding festivities typically start with a religious ceremony at which a mullah reads parts of the Koran, and the couple exchanges vows (known as the Neka). Only the bride and groom and a few close family members will attend this ceremony. The next part of the wedding is similar to a Western wedding reception in the United States. Whereas in Afghanistan, each family might host a party, in the United States, it has become common for the groom's family to host the reception. Consuming months of planning and large budgets, the reception is often held in a banquet facility for up to 500 guests and lasts from evening well into the early hours of the morning.

Traditionally, the guests first gather without the bride and groom; in conservative areas, the men and women are entertained separately, while in more liberal circles, the guests mix. There is music, dancing, and a dinner as lavish as circumstances can afford. After everyone has finished eating, the bride and groom proceed into the reception, during a special song, the Asta Burrow, meaning ‘go slowly.’ All the guests stand and applaud the couple as they proceed to a couch on a raised platform. They are showered with candy or flowers as they reach the platform, and from there they carry out various wedding traditions, such as exchanging rings and cutting and exchanging cake. After the reception, the bride and groom are taken to the groom's home, accompanied by some of the guests. There breakfast is served, and the couple is finally left alone.

The birth of a first child is the occasion for a daylong celebration, which is more elaborate if the child is a boy. Subsequent births receive less attention. The sixth night after a birth there is an open house celebration for friends, who bring small gifts.

Boys are usually circumcised about the age of 7, after which they begin wearing turbans. The circumcision is the occasion for a feast, likely to involve wrestling contests and other demonstrations of manliness.

Although funerals are hardly festivities, commemorative meals may take place several times in the year following a death. Large-scale food distributions connected with funerals were made illegal in Afghanistan in 1950.