'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎92r] (188/312)

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Advent), and tlie three days fast of theNinevites at the end of the Eastern
Jan 2t persons also keep the Feast of St. Mary for a fortnight before Augnst
15th. Moreover, every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year are ast .
And during these fasts there are no exceptional days on which they can eat
meat, and include Sundays as well as week days. Not only is meat forbidden,
but all animal produce of all kinds, such as butter, milk eggs and so forth
The principal things eaten during the fasts are haricot beans, plain potatoes,
treacle rice cooked in walnut oil, walnuts and raisins. „ ,. ,
As'is natural, Easter is considered the greatest of the festivals. They
call it the Great Feast in Urmia in contradistinction to Christmas, whic
is the Little Feast. . . • t „„
The whole day after the Koifrbana is spent in paying visits. In each
house fruit and sweetmeats are displayed, of which all are invited to partake,
with an unlimited supply of tea. . .
Also it is to be feared that arrack and strong drinks form a very prominent
feature in these visits. • -nt ± TKov f-tll
The village festivals are a great feature mNestomn life. They fa
on the feast of the Patron Saint of the village Church, and if the Church
is much venerated, people will flock to it from all parts. On these occa
sions even Musalmans sometimes come and make offerings.
They begin with the Kourbana, and after that games and dances will he
kept up all day, ending too often in drunkenness and fights with the
at the* abuse does not take away the use, and if these festivals were
somewhat reformed they might he made the servants of religion. ^
The Nestorians are a warm-hearted people, and much good feeling is ca
out on these occasions. The dancing is peculiar, but stately and pretty : tie
men dance by themselves and perhaps in the background women by them
selves. A ring is formed with joined hands and with slow step to the music
of a sort of fife and drum they move round with many gesticulations and
waving of handkerchiefs. , < .i
In th°ir weddings the social festivities overshadow to a great extent the
religious rite and last for three or four days. A great point is made of
the procession of the bride, who is placed on a horse completely veiled and
conducted with music, dancing and firing of pistols from her parents loot to
She if conducted the first day to a friend's house, the second day to another
friend's, and probably the third day to the Church, where the marriage takes
place, after which she is conducted to her husband's house. _ .
As the procession passes the bridegroom is stationed with his friends on a
roof and has a store of apples by him, which, after signing himself with the
sign of the cross, he throws among the crowd. If he hits the bride it is a sign
° £ ^Asensual in the East, if it be a first marriage the bride and bridegroom
are mere children; and perhaps it is due to their early marriage that the
women become prematurely old and wrinkled. Second marriages are allowed
even to priests, who are not restrained from marrying after their Ordination.
Bishops, however, are never allowed to marry.^ ,
The law of divorce is very lax even according to the Canons of the Gnurcn,
and the practice is even worse. These matters are all decided by the Bishops,
to whom it is a great temptation to grant divorces for the sake of the
fees,