Dehwa Hanina


In the Mandaean calendar, Dehwa Hanina or Dehwa Ṭurma, the Little Feast, is celebrated on the 18th day of Taura, which is the 4th month of the Mandaean calendar that corresponds to the Hebrew month Iyar.
Dehwa Hanina commemorates the ascension of Hibil Ziwa from the underworld to the World of Light. Mandaean families visit each other and have a special breakfast of rice, yogurt, dates, and sesame seeds. Baptisms are performed, and the dead are commemorated with lofani. Mandaean families also clean their houses, wear new clothes, light candles, burn incense, and pray.

Symbolism

The festival symbolizes three things: