Feast of the Great Shishlam

Culture of origin: Mandaean · Cultural

Holiday sources: Iran · Mandaeism

The Feast of the Great Shishlam, or Nauruz Zuta (Little New Year), falls on the 6th and 7th of Daula, the first month of the Mandaean year. It is named after Shishlam, the Mandaean personification of the archetypal priest. Priests visit Mandaean homes and give myrtle wreaths, which hang on the house for the rest of the year to protect against evil, and households give alms (zidqa) to the priests.