An Investigation of Iranian Ritualsin Rabi׳-the-Ninth Show

Man has always adhered to his national, ancient, mythical, and religious traditions and ceremonies; he also has placed great value on them and tried to preserve them. Some traditions are so much parts of a culture that even political and religious revolutions have not been able to challenge them or break with them, even though they may have been given new names. One of these traditions is the ceremony of Omar-Koshoon, which is probably a modified version of an old Iranian ceremony. This tradition which is still cherished, though more secretly, has a history of several centuries in some cities of Iran, especially Kashan. What is called "Omar-Koshoon Show" in this article is based on an older form practiced in Kashan and several other cities in Iran, not the form that is now held in many cities in Iran. In this article, we first refer to the roots and historical backgrounds of Omar-Koshoon in Iran and Kashan and, then, compare it with some other Iranian and Babylonian celebrations. Afterwards, we compare it with Mire Nowrouzi. It seems that Omar-Koshoon and its Shiite-like form has been rooted in Mogh-Koshi ]Megaphonia[ (or Mire Nowrouzi in Islamic era). There are some similarities between these two ceremonies in terms of performance, manners, and the clothing of the organizers, while both rejoicing and breaking away from legal and religious constraints on the days of the performance