The Celebration of Fardine Maahe ShoFardine Maah is the first month of the ancient Tabari calendar of
Mazandaran and the beginning of the New Year. It is coincident with the month Mordad of official Iranian Jalali calendar; it begins 15 days before the celebration of the dead in
Mazandaran.
Although people of
Mazandaran hold the the 26 Nowroz Maah or the dead celebration some days before the Fardine Maah, they celebrate the New Year of Tabari called Fardine Maah.
Fardine Maah is also called "Sio Maah" in some regions which is derived from the Deylami calendar of the nighboring province of Guilan.
The Celebration of Fardine Maahe Sho was the symbol of attempts made by our ancestors to safeguard their identity and culture for their next generations.
The celebration was nearly forgotten but it has been restored in recent years in some parts of
Mazandaran, especially in Kandelos village in
Nowshahr.
This
...see more celebration is held by efforts made by the young and famous figures of Kandelos each year in order to maintain their folkloric and traditional customs.
People from the region and other cities come to visit this celebration as it is very original and well-managed. The performers play music by drums hornpipes, folkloric dance and games, have symbolic wedding, and bake local foods to celebrate the occasion.
Local women in traditional dressings prepare the needs for holding the Fardine Maah celebration by aid of the men. Every one donates or helps voluntarily to the celebration.
Some bake meals and some other bake bread, and some people paint the eggs while chanting folkloric songs.
They make a meal called "Aash Dogh Jorsari" which is a symbol of empathy and kindness among the past generations of the region. Women and girls wear Waistcoat and put trays on their heads and rejoice.
The whole Kandelos village is full of joy and happiness.
The celebration of Fardine Maah Sho begins with the symbolic exciting and interesting matchmaking ceremony. Locals select child boy and girl for this ceremony; and by this they try to restore all old traditions by their ancestors in the region.
They vivify the whole wedding tradition including matchmaking, preparing needs of wedding, taking groom to bath, and giving gifts to the couple.
Holding the symbolic Wedding ceremony is highly admired by people, especially the youth, since they will see the cultural traditions and learn to join charity works by the elders.
As the Wedding ceremony continues, people get together at the village and spend happy time with singing and playing music by hornpipe and drums.
After the matchmaking ends, people can see the "Hamom Sari" which is taking the groom to bath. The groom is accompanied to bath with trays of sweets, cube sugar and foods.
While the groom is taking shower, traditional wrestling is done and some people do folkloric dance.
After the groom comes out of the bath, he is received by smoking harmal and dropping sweets and coins for the gathering.
The sound of hornpipe and drums as well as the joy and glitters of people fills the atmosphere of the village with joy and happiness.
The locals and those willing go to the groom, kiss him and give him some cash as gift.
Then, the carnival of Fardine Maah Sho goes to the lanes of village to share the happiness with all residents of Kandelos while the bride is riding a horse and the groom accompanies her on foot.
The carnival stops in some places and some perform folkloric dance.
The residents also welcome the carnival with sweets. People gather at the end of the ceremonies in the village and eat an especial meal called "Aashe Dough" baked by women.
In the eye of people of Kandelos, the Fardine Maah Sho ceremony is the celebration for whole the village and gifting their happiness to others.
Traditions and symbols make the identity of each society, even the small ones. This is why people of Kandelos village try to keep this old village alive for the residents and make it attractive for the visitors.
This occasion is like a national day for the villagers, all of them try to play their role in this celebration.
The celebrations of "Kharman", "Tir Maah Sizde Sho", "Fardine Maah Sho" and others are among the original folkloric traditions of Mazandaran and part of the ancient ceremonies of Iran which need to be retained to keep the tribal societies dynamic.
The Fardine Maah Sho celebration is held by people of Kandelos with their local facilities, guidelines of veterans and efforts by the youth to restore their mother tongue, forgetting tiffs, appreciating the elders and encouraging the noble young men to stay at the village.
All these can be a symbol of spontaneous social works
Reference
http://Mazandaran.irib.ir/
