Horbābā Ritual: The Ancient Hirombā and Sadeh Celebrations among Muslim Iranians

The midnight of Ramezan in Nooshabad brings a ritual in the name of Horbaba, in which children are gone to the homes and pray for a child of the homeowner through hymn, and then receive gifts. The sample of this ritual is seen in many regions and provinces of Iran including Turkmen desert, Yazd, Kerman, Sistan, Bushehr, and Khuzestan. On the other side, a three-day joint celebration called Hirombā is held by Zoroastrians in which they collect firewood, set fire, read hymns with children and adolescents at the homes of residents, and then receive edible gifts. Hirombā has a significant similarity with Horbaba, in terms of the name, general structure, lyrics, content, and a blessing of children's focus. The fire which is common in the poem of Hirombā is also common in Horbaba. It seems that Horbaba's ritual, which is still held in many parts of Iran, is the remnant of the ancient Hirombā and Sadeh, and although it has become small and time-lapsed, it has been preserved through an Islamic structure. Researchers view Hirombā the same as Sadeh celebration. They associate the ritual with the sun and Yazata Rapithwin. This paper, based on the field studies and document analysis, aims to introduce Horbaba and its other examples in Iran and focus on its common elements with Zoroastrian Hirombā rituals and their mythical origins