There is no countdown or mass celebration to celebrate Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, and that means a fresh start and new goals.
Al-Hijra marks the end of the month of Hajj, which is the last month of the Islamic calendar, and celebrates the journey that Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina, said Omar Kurdi, communications chair of the Muslim Students Association and a junior studying political science and global studies.
“It’s not a major holiday but the first ten days of the month are considered holy,” Kurdi said. “People are trying to start the year off great and on good terms.”
The Day of Ashura falls on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month on the Islamic Calendar and is similar to Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, said Nick Brumfield, a junior studying political science and global studies.
“It marks the time where people can reflect and make a plan for the New Year,” he said.
There are not any rituals or traditions specifically for Al-Hijra, but during prayer, the Imam might talk about how the New Year can be improved and what it means to everybody, Kurdi said.
Depending on the location and culture, the New Year can be celebrated differently, Kurdi added.
“It’s very localized and based on family,” Kurdi said. “It’s a cultural thing, and if you see it as interesting or meaningful, then you celebrate it more intensely.”
Shiites take the New Year more seriously because it’s also the date when Al-Hussein, Muhammad’s grandson, died a martyr, Brumfield said.
“They are mourning the death of a descendent of Muhammad who is seen as a martyr because of his death in battle,” Brumfield said. “They are also celebrating the New Year, and it’s an important day for them.”
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