TEHRAN-- In the old alleys and traditional neighborhoods of Bushehr province, a motherly ritual called ‘noon pooshi’ (bread wrapping) is held with the arrival of Ramadan.

A folklore ritual in which a newborn baby is wrapped by the flatbread for good omen. The ritual is simple, but it carries belief, hope, and social bonds.

According to ISNA, bread wrapping is one of the ancient customs of the people of southern Iran, which is most common in the cities and villages of Bushehr province. The ceremony, which is among the religious-folk rituals of Ramadan, is especially held with mothers' vows for the healing or health of their children, and is considered one of the registered intangible cultural heritages of the country.

In the culture of the people of the south, bread is not only an everyday food, it is a symbol of blessing, sustenance, and holiness. The view has caused bread to have a ritual function in this ritual.

According to the tradition, when a child falls ill or a family prays for a healthy child, the mother or one of the women in the family vows that if the child recovers or the need is met, the bread wrapping ceremony will be held. This vow is often performed during the month of Ramadan and in a religious setting.

The ceremony is usually held in a mosque, a Hussainieh, or a local Imamzadeh. On the day of the vow, women from the family and neighbors gather. The child is laid out on a clean cloth and fresh local bread is placed on his body, so that the child is covered from head to toe with bread.

At this time, prayers, supplications, and remembrances flow from the lips of those present. The atmosphere of the ceremony is a mixture of tears of joy, hope, and gratitude. After the prayer, the bread is taken out and broken into pieces, and sometimes distributed among those present, along with halva or local sweets, so that everyone can share in the goodness and blessings of the vow.

A notable feature of the ritual is the strong presence of women. Bread wrapping is considered a female ritual, and the role of mothers in organizing and passing it on to future generations is clearly evident.

Bread wrapping is mostly held during the month of Ramadan; a month that, in religious beliefs, is a time for answered prayers and good deeds.

This connection with the month of Ramadan has given the bread wrapping ceremony a more spiritual dimension and has made it part of the cultural identity of these days in Bushehr province. The bread wrapping ritual was registered as part of Iran’s intangible cultural heritage in January 2011 on the list of national monuments.

In a time when many local traditions have faded, bread wrapping is still held in some neighborhoods in the south of the country; A ritual in which bread becomes a symbol of protection and prayer, and a simple vow creates a circle of social bonding among the women of a neighborhood. Bread wrapping can be considered a manifestation of the connection between religion and popular culture; a ritual that, with the simple language of bread and prayer, narrates the maternal hope for the health of the child.

KD