By lighting (1190) candles.. The start of the candle festival on the birth anniversary of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance)

The events of the twenty-fourth annual candle festival, on the birth anniversary of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance), began at the Qibla Gate of the shrine of Aba al-Fadl al-Abbas(peace be upon him).

The festival was held under the slogan (Blessed are those who are waiting in his absence) under the auspices of the holy shrines of Imam al-Hussayn and al-Abbas (peace be upon them), and in the presence of officials of the holy shrines, religious and official figures and a large gathering of visitors, and included lighting (1190) candles with the number of years of Imam al-Mahdi's age (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance), arranged in an artistic way to form the phrase (Al-Mahdi is the light of the guided).

The festival began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran of the reader Karrar al-Mayahi, followed by the speech of the general secretariats of the holy shrines of Imam al-Hussayn and al-Abbas (peace be upon them), delivered by the acting head of the Religious Affairs Department at the Imam al-Hussayn's (p) shrine; Sheikh Ahmad al-Safi, and began by congratulating those present and the Islamic nation on the birth anniversary of the expected Imam al-Hujjah (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance).

The head of the Department of Hussayni Rituals, Processions and Bodies in Iraq and the Islamic world affiliated to the holy shrines of Imam al-Hussayn and al-Abbas (peace be upon them); Sayed Aqeel al-Yasiri, said that "the festival commemorates the auspicious birth anniversary of the Master of the Order and Time (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance), with various events and activities, including the recitation of poems by a number of popular poets, poets of vertical poetry and Munshids, as well as honoring the winners of the contest of the birth anniversary of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance)".

The festival included many cultural events and competitions, in addition to a collection of poems by the poets of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), namely the poet Hassan al-Fital, Mohammed al-A'ajibi and Hussein Abu Iraq, as well as there were Nasheeds presented by the Sayed Ahmad al-Mousawi and Ali al-Wa'eli.

The festival concluded with the lighting of the candle of the birth anniversary, which was lit by the winner; Sayed Mohammed Kadhem Obada, whose name was selected after a draw of the names of those present, after which certificates of appreciation were distributed to the poets and gifts to the visitors, which were kept at the end of the festival.

The candle festival is an annual tradition that includes lighting candles with the number of years of Imam al-Hujjah Ibn al-Hassan(peace be upon them), which has been practiced by Hajj Miqdad Karim Hadi from the city of Essaouira in Wasit governorate since 2001, but it has evolved to be conducted under the supervision of the holy shrines of Imam al-Hussayn and al-Abbas (peace be upon them), in a ceremony to light candles every year that has developed into a festival, and due to the large crowds on the night of the half of Sha'ban, the general secretariats of the two holy shrines decided that the date of this festival should be the eve of the Fourteenth of the great month of Sha'ban.