In 2024, Ashura Day will be celebrated on June 16, it is observed according to the lunar calendar on the tenth day of the sacred month of Muharram. The name of the holiday «Ashura» translates as the number 10.
History of the sacred day of Ashura
It was on Ashura Day that the heavens were created and the first man on earth, Adam, was created from clay. On the same day, the Prophet Muhammad blessed Adam and called upon future generations to perform only good and pious deeds.
Until the year 680, the history was the same for Sunnis and Shiites, but a historical event that occurred in that same year changed everything. In modern-day Iraq, in the city of Karbala, on Ashura Day, Muhammad's grandson Ali was killed. Since then, for Shiites, this day is associated with a day of remembrance and mourning for one of the most significant and memorable figures in the history of Islam.
How Muslims observe Ashura Day
Shiites perform rituals on the day of remembrance of Ali. Sunnis dedicate the day to performing righteous deeds. Muslims try to visit their parents, spend this day with their family, and often make donations and help those in need.