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{{Unreferenced|date=March 2018}}

'''Seharane''' (סֶהֲרַנֶה) is a festival historically celebrated by [[Kurdish Jews]] as a multi-day nature festival starting after the last day of [[Passover]] commemorating the day [[Chametz|hametz]] could be brought to the temple as a [[First Fruits|First fruits offering]] (Leviticus 2:12). It coincided with [[Mimouna]]. Communities would leave their villages and camp out for three days, celebrating with eating and drinking, nature walks, singing, and dancing.

== History ==
The tradition is at least 2,000-year-old. Some believe it was influenced by the Akkadian spring festival of Akitu. Others believe Seharane comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of celebrating the 1st of Nisan as a spring festival, but the date was later changed to start the day after Passover ended.

Its observance was interrupted after the Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries and the relocation of this community to Israel in the 1950s. In recent years, it has been revived but, because of the already-widespread celebration of Mimouna in Israel, the celebration of the Seharane was moved to Chol HaMoed of [[Sukkot]]. This, though, caused a decline of the Seharane celebrations since it has always been  traditionally celebrated in the springtime since ancient times.

Traditionally, the Seharane has a secular component, but there are special prayers dedicated to the holiday, inauguration of a Torah scrolls, and marriage celebrations, similar to the matchmaking traditions of Mimouna.

Before the Jews relocated to Israel, the traditional dates of Seharane were 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of Nisan (in Kurdistan) which are the 3 days following [[Passover]]. (In Israel, it technically should have been on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of Nisan, but there was already the Maghrebi Jewish tradition of Mimouna on 21st of Nisan, so alternative dates were given, but many in the Kurdish Jewish community want it to return  springtime.)

The Main Course would be brought to the campsite:
# Yaprach (יפראך): Grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice ( יפרך) (also yaprach are also prepared by stuffing Swiss chard leaves, mallow leaves, and cabbage leaves.)
# [[Dolma|Dulama]] (דולמא): Mixed stuffed vegetables typically summer squash, eggplant, tomatoes, and onions.  The typical filling would include ground meat, short grain rice, chopped onions, pine nuts, and yellow raisins.
# Kubbah Ḥamuṣta (קובה חמוצתא)- [[Semolina]] kubbah are stuffed with fatty lamb, celery leaves, and garlic and then cooked in a lemon & chicken soup, which has been flavored with celery, Swiss chard, garlic, and scallions (or Persian leeks).

Before the meals, the maza would be served. Maza were snack foods served with [[Arak (drink)|arak]] during socializing before the main course. These would include:

Araqin ([[Arak (drink)|arak]] or anise liqueur), [[Lahmacun|Lahmajun]] (Meat-covered bread dough pies),
[[Torshi|Turshi]] Ajare (Mixed pickles of carrots, cabbage, peppers, cauliflower),Ksesa Qilya (Fried chicken), Qoqwanta Qilya (Fried partridge), Nunyase Qilya (Fried fish), Shargome Qilya (Fried turnips), Banjane Smoqe Qilya (Fried tomatoes), Riza Kabili (Lamb and rice pilaf), Zalatet Banjane (Eggplant salad), Zalatet Khortmane (Chick pea salad), Zalatet Filfele wa Goza (a bell pepper, carrot, & walnut dip), Burek bi Spanakh (Spinach-filled cigar boreks),Kutelik (Fried bulgur kibbeh filled with meat), Orjet Khortmane (Fried chick pea balls, like [[falafel]]), Orjet Nonyase ( Fried ground fish balls),  Kubbah shifteh mtuyah (grilled ground meat patties on skewers), and Keliche (Sesame-sprinkled sweet ring-shaped cookies flavored with a mix of spices).

Although the Jews of Kurdistan spoke various Jewish dialects of [[Neo-Aramaic languages|Neo-Aramaic]], it was common to sing many of the songs of Seharane in Kurdish.

==See also==
*[[Newroz]]
*[[Sham el-Nessim]]

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131017205645/http://www.jafi.org.il/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/Jewish+Time/Festivals+and+Memorial+Days/The+Seharane.htm Article discussing Seharane by ''The Jewish Agency for Israel''.]
{{Jewish and Israeli holidays}}

{{Passover Footer}}

[[Category:Assyrian culture]]
[[Category:Jews and Judaism in Kurdistan]]
[[Category:Festivals in Israel]]
[[Category:Festivals in Iraq]]
[[Category:Festivals in Iran]]
[[Category:Festivals in Turkey]]
[[Category:Minor Jewish holidays]]
[[Category:Nisan observances]]
[[Category:Passover#REDIRECT [[History of the Jews in Kurdistan]]