Yezidis prepare to celebrate "Shif Prat" tonight
04/07/2012 18:49DUHOK, July 4 (AKnews) - Yezidis celebrate "Shif Prat" ceremony tonight in the Lalish Temple in their home areas and thousands will continue the ceremony until dawn on Thursday.
Yezidi activist Luqman Suleiman said: "Shif Prat is a religious and social occasion, received by the Yezidis with joy throughout their areas, while a large part of them revive it until dawn.
"Tens of Yezidi families go to the Lalish Temple to celebrate this night while celebrating the occasion at the temple was previously limited to the clergy, in the forefront of Baba Sheikh. Yezidi families head to the temple from nearby towns such as Sheikhan, Badhiry, Bashiqa, Bahzany and others."
Lalish Temple (45km north of Mosul) is the only temple for the followers of Yezidi religion. According to researchers, Yezidi religion is an ancient Kurdish religion because all the religious texts are recited in the Kurdish language in religious rituals occasions.
"After the sunset the celebrators light cotton wicks at the entrance of Lalish Temple, which is called Soka Maarefti in Kurdish - that is the market of knowledge, wishing their dreams to be achieved. The celebrators continue their rituals, accompanied by religious hymns all night, until dawn."
"Some Yezidi areas used to celebrate this occasion before through the establishment of Kurdish Dabkeh and playing drums and flutes and after the sun appeared they headed to the nearest shrine to perform the ceremonies of the occasion."
By Khudr Khallat
RN/DM/AKnews
