Muharram: A Monument of Time, Reflections on Holy Days and Religious Calendars

Why are major holidays generally marked in red on the calendar and designated as public holidays? Or why do almost all beliefs and religions have commemorations and religious festivals held on specific dates and times? Such as Christmas in Christianity, Yom Kippur in Judaism, Diwali in Hinduism, Waisak in Buddhism, and Nyepi in Hinduism in Bali. In Islam, there are dates like 1 Syawal (Eid al-Fitr), 10 Dzulhijjah (Eid al-Adha), 15 Sya’ban (the night of Nisfu Sya’ban), the Prophet’s Birthday, Isra Mikraj, and 1 Muharram. In fact, on 9 Dzulhijjah (the Day of Arafah) and 10 Muharram (Ashura), Muslims are encouraged to fast. Religious holidays are not merely red dates on a calendar or lively celebrations. According to the sociology of religion, they are monuments of time collectively erected by adherents to remember, celebrate, and renegotiate the meaning of religious life. In some Abrahamic religions, these commemorations are divine commands recorded in holy scriptures. In these calendars, linear time meets sacred time, history meets myth, and the individual meets the community. The roots of religious holiday observances can be traced to several sources: historical events, natural cycles, and scriptural records. The first source is based on the actors of an event. For example, the Jewish Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, Christian Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, while Eid al-Adha remembers the sacrifice of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail. Meanwhile, the 10th of Muharram is associated with various events, such as the acceptance of Prophet Adam’s repentance, the landing of Prophet Nuh’s ark on Mount Judi, the saving of Prophet Ibrahim from the fire, the release of Prophet Yusuf from prison, the salvation of Prophet Musa and the Children of Israel from Pharaoh, and, according to Shia tradition, the martyrdom of Imam Husain in Karbala. In this context, historical time that has passed is elevated to sacred time. The date is repeated every year so that the event does not collapse into mere legend or a story of the past. The second source is the adaptation of various calendars to agricultural and astronomical cycles. The Diwali festival in Hinduism is celebrated during the transition from the dark season to the light. Christmas on 25 December was adopted because of its proximity to the winter solstice in Northern Europe. The fasting month of Ramadan follows the pre-Islamic Arab lunar calendar. Religion does not abolish local calendars, but rather baptises and reinterprets them with new meaning.