Shafaq News- Baghdad
Mandaeans in Iraq and abroad will mark their new year onWednesday without celebrations for a third year, limiting the occasion toprayers and religious ceremonies out of respect for Imam Hussein's martyrdom,Sheikh Sattar Al-Hilu, the religious leader of the Mandaeans, told Shafaq Newson Tuesday.
The Mandaean New Year marks the beginning of the materialworld, when the earth took shape, the planets, sun, and moon were formed andset in their orbits, and the world was prepared for the creation of Adam andEve. It is the first of four interconnected holidays and includes religiousrituals such as baptism for those who wish to undergo it, exchanging greetings,preparing meals of forgiveness for people in need, and commemorating the dead.
As part of the holiday observance, community members remaininside their homes, avoid receiving visitors, and refrain from going outsidefor 36 hours, beginning at sunset on the first day and ending at noon on thethird. Throughout the observance, Mandaeans also avoid using running water,prompting families to store water in containers beforehand. They also refrainfrom shaving and other forms of grooming and avoid cuts or injuries because theshedding of blood is prohibited. The rules apply to both adults and children.
About Mandaeans
The Mandaeans are among the world’s oldest monotheisticreligions, venerating John the Baptist (Yahya ibn Zakariya) as their prophet. Their holy book, the Ginza Rba, contains the writings of Adam and details ofcreation, the eternal struggle between light and darkness, and the soul’sjourney after death toward the world of light.
Iraq's Mandaean population has declined sharply from anestimated 70,000 before 2003 to between 3,000 and 15,000 today. Most live inthe southern provinces of Basra, Dhi Qar, and Maysan, with smaller communitiesin Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.
Following migration waves that began in the late 1990s,Mandaean communities have spread to countries such as Sweden, Germany,Australia, and the United States, where they have established mandis (temples)and received official recognition to freely practice their religious rites andtraditions.
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