The Day of Ashura (عاشوراء‎) is on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. It marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram. The day of Ashura is special to all Muslims, especially the Shiites. Sunni Muslims celebrate the day by fasting it and by preparing a special treat that has the same name made from wheat grains, sugar and milk.

For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on the 10th of Muharram in the year 61 AH. In some Shia countries and regions such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Bahrain, the Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and most ethnic and religious communities participate in it. For Shiites, commemoration of Ashura is a sad event; it is a period of intense grief and mourning. Hundreds of thousands take to the city of Karbala and other places with Shiites majority where they participate in activities express their grief collectively.

Image by Pejman Parvandi on Flickr