World Calendar Day
Ashura
The most solemn day in the Shia calendar. Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet, was martyred at Karbala in 680 CE. The mourning is public, the processions are massive, and the chest-beating (sineh-zani) is rhythmic and intense. In some communities, men flagellate themselves with chains (zanjeer-zani). The story of Karbala is retold every year, and every year, the grief is fresh. Ashura is not a historical commemoration. It is a present-tense experience. Husayn died 1,300 years ago, but in the telling, he died today. . 2026: Jun 27. 2027: Jun 16.
