Changal: A Ritual Sweet in the Observances of the Ninth of Rabiʿ al-Awwal

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The earliest known reflection of the rituals associated with the ninth of Rabiʿ al-Awwal in Persian poetry appears in verses from a qaṣīda composed by Naṣrat b. Muḥammad ʿAlavī Rāzī, a Twelver Shiʿi poet of the eighth century AH. In addition to referring to Shiʿi hadith and narrative traditions concerning this occasion, these verses also reflect certain popular beliefs and customs associated with the day. Among the notable elements mentioned in the poem are the use of masks as an indication of ritual performances and Changāl, a ritual confection associated with the observance of the ninth of Rabiʿ al-Awwal. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach and drawing upon lexical evidence, literary sources, and folklore reports, this study examines the nature and ritual function of Changāl and seeks to reconstruct its ingredients, method of preparation, and place within the rituals of the occasion. The findings indicate that Changāl had been recognized as a ritual food associated with these observances since at least the early eighth century AH and that this tradition continued until the late Safavid period. These findings shed further light on the cultural and ritual history of the ninth of Rabiʿ al-Awwal and contribute to a better understanding of the role of Changāl within its observances. In this respect, Naṣrat ʿAlavī Rāzī’s qaṣīda constitutes one of the few extant sources for the study of the rituals of the ninth of Rabiʿ al-Awwal and for reconstructing certain cultural aspects of this occasion during the pre-Safavid and Safavid periods.

Highlights

The findings of this study highlight several broader implications. First, they underscore the value of poetic texts as documentary evidence for social and ritual history. Naṣrat al-Rāzī’s qasida, though composed as devotional praise, preserves concrete details of lived religious practice. Second, the case of Changāl illustrates the dynamic interaction between elite literary culture and popular custom, whereby a vernacular culinary practice acquires symbolic weight within Shiʿi ritual memory. Finally, the historical trajectory of Changāl—from a locally prepared sweet to a sacralized feast-day confection—demonstrates how material culture and embodied practices contribute to the formation and transmission of communal religious identity.

In conclusion, the evidence suggests that Changāl was recognized as a ritual confection connected to the ninth of Rabīʿ al-Awwal at least by the early eighth century AH and that this association endured into the Safavid era. Through lexical, literary, and manuscript sources—some examined here for the first time—the study reconstructs both the culinary features and the ritual significance of Changāl, revealing its role in the intersection of Shiʿi devotional tradition and Persian popular culture.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Persian Language and Literature

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 July 2026

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  • Receive Date: 19 February 2026
  • Revise Date: 01 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 10 May 2026
  • Publish Date: 14 July 2026

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