Sema
By Haidar Arabo al-Yousifani
As is well known, Ezidi religious festivals are closely connected to nature and cannot be separated from it. The rituals and ceremonies observed during these festivals are directly linked to natural elements. While it is impossible to pinpoint a precise historical origin for these celebrations, Ezidi religious texts and oral traditions trace the roots of the Forty Days of Summer (Çileya Havînê) back to ancient times. Despite differing opinions about its origin, it is generally accepted that all Ezidi festivals are rooted in the civilizations of the Mithraic, Babylonian, Sumerian, and Akkadian eras—times in which natural phenomena and their seasonal cycles were revered.
These ancient religions were largely cosmic or theistic in nature, involving direct relationships with celestial deities such as the sun, moon, stars, wind, fire, and others. This deep connection to the cosmos provides strong evidence of the Ezidi religion’s ancient and enduring nature.
The Forty Days of Summer, and the accompanying festival, are linked to the height of the summer season, the intense heat, and the conclusion of the agricultural harvest. This observance is known in Kurdish as Çileya Havînê, meaning “the forty hottest days of the summer.” Following this period, temperatures begin to drop gradually, especially during the night, and the day shortens by about an hour in favor of the night.
The number forty holds great spiritual significance in many religious traditions, and this is reflected in Ezidi religious practice. It appears in several contexts—such as mourning (forty days after death), postpartum rites, and seasonal rituals like the Forty Days of Winter and Forty Days of Summer. There are also ascetic practitioners, called Khilmê Tekar, who retreat to the sacred Lalish valley and fast for forty days as part of their religious obligation.
This raises the question: why is the number forty sacred in the Ezidi religion, and where did its reverence originate?
According to Ezidi mythology, the sanctity of the number forty first appears in the story of Prophet Noah (Nûh) and the Great Flood—a narrative preserved in many global religions with similar themes. In Ezidi tradition, Noah is regarded as one of the most righteous people of his time. Amid widespread corruption, God chose him to warn humanity. Noah declared that after forty days, a massive flood would descend upon the earth. Despite public skepticism, he built an ark to carry pairs of humans and animals.
The rain came, lasting forty days and nights, covering even the highest mountains. Afterward, a divine wind carried away the floodwaters. The ark descended and eventually settled, marking the rebirth of humanity. This story highlights the foundational role the number forty plays in Ezidi cosmology.
According to oral Ezidi sources, Prophet Noah spent these forty days in seclusion inside the Çilexane (Cave of Forty) in the sacred valley of Lalish, fasting both in winter and summer for ten consecutive years. This cave, originally called “Çilexane,” was later renamed “Çilexane of Sheikh Adî” after Sheikh Adî ibn Musafir made Lalish his spiritual center. The name of the festival also changed to “The Forty of Sheikh Adî (Summer)”.
One of the key rituals of this observance involves lighting 366 sacred flames (representing each day of the year) across the holy places of Lalish before sunset. Lalish, located near the town of Sheikhan in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, is the central holy site of the Ezidi faith.
There is also a historical theory that reverence for the number forty dates back to the ancient Egyptian civilization, where it was believed that a soul remained in its body for forty days after death, pending divine judgment. During that time, the deceased would be embalmed but not buried. This concept may have traveled and influenced nearby civilizations such as the Sumerians and Babylonians, and still echoes in modern religious customs.
From the standpoint of ancient astronomers and philosophers, the year was divided into four seasons, essential for agriculture and trade. The Forty Days of Summer were seen as the hottest and most productive period of the agricultural cycle.
The Ezidi observance of the Forty Days of Summer starts on July 31 (Gregorian calendar) and ends around August 2, acknowledging the 13-day shift between Eastern and Western calendars. The fast, known as Çileya Gêr, begins prior to this and continues for forty consecutive days during the height of summer heat.
This fast is practiced only by Ezidi religious leaders and clergy within the Spiritual Council of Lalish, including the Baba Sheikh, khilmtekars, and members of the Household of Sheikh Adî. While general Ezidis do not fast during this period, some choose to do so voluntarily, believing it brings divine reward on the Day of Judgment.
After the fast ends, the festival is celebrated for three days at Lalish, attended by senior clergy and large numbers of Ezidis from across the world, including the diaspora. The day before the festival, Sheikhs and Pirs arrive at Lalish to welcome followers and conduct ceremonial blessings.
Ezidis outside Lalish also mark the occasion with acts of charity, such as feeding the poor, sacrificing animals, and sharing food with neighbors as a way to honor their ancestors. Some Ezidis offer meals to the Çile Gêr fasters, turning the fast into a celebration.
Visiting Lalish during this period is considered a pilgrimage and a deeply spiritual act. It is also a major social event where Ezidis from all over gather to reaffirm their cultural and religious identity.
Each day of the festival includes religious chanting sessions in the Assembly of Sheikh Adî, accompanied by the daf (frame drum) and shabab (reed flute). In the evening, the sacred “Sema” dance is performed—an ancient Ezidi religious dance carried out by male clergy, symbolizing the Seven Holy Beings (angels). The Sema is accompanied by sacred music and hymns, resembling ancient Sumerian temple dances once performed by priests at specific times of the year.