مراسم

What it means

مراسم (marâsem) means ceremony, ritual, or formal event. It is the Arabic broken plural of مرسوم (marsum), a word derived from the root ر-س-م (r-s-m) meaning to mark, inscribe, or draw, which extended to the sense of an established custom or formal observance. Persian borrowed the plural form مراسم directly and uses it as a singular noun: you say «یه مراسم» (a ceremony) rather than reaching for a singular form. The word covers a wide range of occasions: مراسم عروسی (marâsem-e arusi) is a wedding ceremony, مراسم ختم (marâsem-e khatm) is a funeral or memorial service, and مراسم فارغ‌التحصیلی (marâsem-e fâregh-at-tahsili) is a graduation ceremony. The verb used with it is مراسم گرفتن (marâsem gereftan) or مراسم برگزار کردن (marâsem bargozâr kardan), both meaning to hold a ceremony.

How to use it

• مراسم عروسیشون کِیه؟ (marâsem-e arusishun kiye?) “When is their wedding ceremony?”
• مراسم ختم فردا برگزار می‌شه (marâsem-e khatm fardâ bargozâr mishe) “The memorial service will be held tomorrow.”
• مراسم رسمی بود (marâsem rasmi bud) “It was a formal ceremony.”
• مراسم گرفتن براشون سخته (marâsem gereftan barâshun sakhte) “Holding a ceremony is difficult for them.”

Cultural note

Ceremony and ritual hold a central place in Iranian social life. مراسم ختم, the gathering held after a death, is one of the most binding social obligations: failing to attend the مراسم of a colleague’s or neighbour’s family member is noticed and remembered. These gatherings run for three days (سوم), forty days (چهلم), and a year (سالگرد), each with its own مراسم. Wedding ceremonies مراسم عروسی can themselves span multiple events, including عقد (the formal contract) and عروسی (the celebration), each treated as a separate مراسم.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab