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November 16, 2003
Holy days?
Today was a holiday in Iran. So was last Friday. So is next Friday. So are many days here. "We're the land of holidays," a husband's friend told me today.
There are 26 official holidays here, on which the government is closed. But there are many more unofficial holidays, like the anniversary of the hostage taking or next Friday, which honors the Palestinian struggle. The reason? Part of it is that there are 12 holy Imams, so Iranians celebrate each of their deaths and some of their birthdays. Then there's also New Year's, which extends for many days.
Some go to the mosques to commemorate these days. But many do not, and find them frustrating, as no work gets done. "We keep adding Imams," joked one acquaintance, "Imam Khomeini, Imam Khamenei...so soon we will be working only one day a week."
Compounding the problem is that the Iranian weekend is Thursday and Friday. Since the Western world is working then, and has Saturday and Sunday off, effectively there are only three days when business can be transacted with the West. So many offices that deal with the international community stay open on Thursdays. Journalists have a raw deal--only one day off so that papers can continue to publish.
Others find the situation frustrating because they don't like the whole concept of mourning. "Why should we cry for people who died 1,400 years ago?" complained one friend. "These were holy people. They are close to God now."
As you might imagine, these holidays affect me, too. Everything is closed--all stores and office-- and since offices close early during the month of Ramadan, it means times for appointments, for eating, for shopping, are all truncated. I used today to walk into the foothills and visit some local artists and then visit a friend for a couple of hours. If you can't beat them, join them, right?
Posted by MJF at November 16, 2003 07:09 PM
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