When someone leaves hometown in the southern province of Bushehr to attend Hajj pilgrimage, family members perform Hiloo Zarna ritual until he/she comes back home.

According to the ritual, the family makes a swing and adorns it with colorful ornaments. Family members and relatives play on the swing accompanied by others praying and chanting.

It is believed that it wards off calamities and diseases from the one who is overseas when he/she performs hajj rituals like Tawaf (an Islamic ritual of pilgrimage, according to which, Muslims are to go around the Kaaba seven times), and Sa’y al-Safa wa l-Marwa, (an obligatory action in hajj consisting of 7 times of walking between the two mountains, al-Safa and al-Marwa).

Various tribes and ethnic groups who live in different parts of Iran are just like colors, which make a great painting. Iran is home to about 20 ethnic groups who live in different regions of the country.

SB/MQ/MG