Participants walk through St James during the Hosay procession last Sunday  

I can recall attending Hosay celebrations once. I was eight and my father took my younger sister and I (along with a family friend and their two boys) to St. James to witness the festivities.  I make no apologies at eight. I had absolutely no concept of time, but I remembered the event took place at night.  We parked along a back street, and then we made our way to the main road in St. James.  I could remember thinking this looks just like carnival, minus the people in costumes dancing and the calypso/soca music. I was in awe of the floats they seemed so majestic and beautiful to me as a child but the noise of the drumming and the crowd of people who came to witness the event was too much for me to handle.  I will admit I complained until it was time to leave, and that was the first and last time daddy took us to Hosay. I understand now, as an adult, that daddy’s intention was not to torture us, but to make us aware of one of the many fibers that make up our eccentric and multifaceted culture.

The face of happiness.  This young man displays his joy while  partaking in this years Hosay festivities

Over the years, I would see articles about Hosay celebrations in the newspapers or featured on the nightly news but, still, I knew nothing about the purpose behind the festival except that it was mostly celebrated by the Muslim community (thank God for the internet). Hosey essentially commemorates the martyrdom of Hussain and Hassan, who were the grandsons of the Prophet Muhammed .   I don’t know about most of you but I am proud to be a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. Yes we are a small island, but we are rich in culture.  I have always loved the fact that because we are small (geographically) and we know a little bit of everybody’s practices and history, it is this that make us a unique people.

  Hussains Moon on proudly on display.  Members take turns showing the moon dedicated to Hussain during the street parade. The Red is a representative of Hussains blood that was shed.

Hosay, or Muharram, was introduced to Trinidad in 1845.  This festival was celebrated by Shi’a Muslims who came from east India as indentured labourers. This was perceived as an Indian celebration since both Muslims and Hindus participated in the activities.  To me the most beautiful part of Hosay is not the Tadjahs (or floats) that are displayed in the streets, but the reason for the celebrations.

Hosay, usually extends to a period of ten days, during which a number of Islamic rituals including prayer and fasting are observed in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar and in line with ten days of Ashura. The last four days of Hosay are the most popular as the first six days are for fasting, prayer and the building of the “Tadjahs” and “Moons”.  The Tadjahs (which represents the tomb of Hussain) and “Moons” (which symbolizes the two brothers red for Hussain and blue or green for Hassan) are displayed during their street procession.  The Tadjahs following another ritual are taken into the sea to be discarded. Sounds interesting right? But why is it celebrated?

The blue moon a Tribute to Hassan.  The blue or sometimes green moon is a symbol of the poison what was used to Kill Hassan

After the death of the Prophet Muhammed in 632 AD, the selection of his successor created a split within the Muslim community. One faction stood firm to the belief that the successor to the head of Islam must come from within the family of the prophet Muhammed, the other sect held the majority opinion that succession must be based on the selection from the elite families of Mecca, Saudi Arabia and with approval by all Muslims.  There were a series of successors over the years prior to the prophet Muhammed’s death. In 661 AD, Hassan, the grandson of the prophet, was named successor (caliph) but he had to relinquish his title in favor of Mu’awiyah after six months.  Hassan died in 669 AD after being poisoned.

This beautiful Tadjah was one of the many on display at the festival this year.  The Tadjahs are built as a replica of Hussains tomb

In 680 AD, Hussain, the other grandson of the prophet Muhammed, did not agree with the succession of this father.  He left Medina for Kufah, Iraq, to join his supporters  before heading for Damascus, Syria to discuss his concerns with Yazid. Hussain was intercepted in Kerbala after Yazid issued an order to his army to capture and bring him (Hussain) to Damascus if he refused to accept Yazid as the new caliph.  Hussain’s party was attacked by Yazid’s forces.  Hussain accompanied by his friends and family, which included women and young children, were surrounded by the army of the enemy.  They were deprived of food and water in the desert heat for three successive days before being brutally killed. – Sad right?

These drummers were having fun while performing songs that are apart of the traditional rituals.

Hussain stood for freedom and equality.  He could have easily saved his life but he stood up against the Islamic State of his era.  He decided to sacrifice his life for humanity, putting aside sect and religion.  Hussain could be quoted as saying, “Those who are silent when others are oppressed are guilty of oppression themselves.”  In other words, there is no such thing as being neutral when something wrong is being done in front of you. Regardless of your religious background or upbringing, what Hussain believed in is something we all can relate to.  Most of us, the citizenry of the world, prefer to go about our business and say nothing when others are distressed or mistreated for fear of being persecuted ourselves. This has to stop!

Taking a break in between rituals.  These two take a brief moment while displaying the red moon for Hussain.

 The Hosay celebration, as an adult, was an entirely different experience for me.  What I once perceived as noise as a child, is now the sounds of the most beautiful drumming to my adult ears.  To actually witness the love, passion and dedication of the Shi’a Muslims and the non-Muslims who participated in the procession to mourn the death of Hussain and Hassan was an experience like no other.  You could actually feel the vibes of the participations through the sounds of the drumming, the rituals performed during the procession and the way in which the Tadjahs were carefully pushed through the streets.  Hosay is indeed a festival that exhibits love, passion and dedication through mourning the death of two heroes.

Blessings!

Callaloo Culture

References

https://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/!ut/p/a1/jdDBCoJAEAbgp_HqjIqR3TxYqUFoVLqX0NhWY90VNe3xM29iWXOb4fvhZ4BABEQkbc6SJpci4e-dLC5-oKPpWgbuA7RQD13NQdM3NqHWg3gEws26B46pbf2TgYj_5fHL2D_zByrgDGSWeTgB05oDmOnhAWFcpsNPYlukxpIBqeiNVrRSH1V_zpqmrFcKKth1ncqkZJyqV1ko-CmSybqBaCyhLI7R072bvN3ZL9sCR6M!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/gortt/wcm/connect/GorTT%20Web%20Content/ttconnect/home/about+t+and+t/festivals+and+holidays/hosay

https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/what-is-muharram-know-about-mourning-on-ashura

https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Hosay

http://www.bestoftrinidad.com/hosay.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosay