With the onset of summer, the southern regions of Iran experience as much heat as is known as date palms; That is, when the date arrives, and because the date needs a lot of heat to ripen, the date-growing season has also become popular among the people. The so-called date growers resort to it whenever they want to describe the extreme heat of the air. The date period may be slightly different depending on the climate of the region, but for example, Dashtestani gardeners from the beginning of August to around September are considered date farmers and harvest their crops.

Now that the heat reminds us of date palms, we want to talk about the important points about the palm tree. A tree that gardeners respect and treat humanely; It is as if they are raising a human being, and everything that happens to the tree is as if it happened to a human being. In the following, we will talk about this issue and other interesting points about the palm tree.

Palm And Its Resemblance To Human!

• The value of the palm tree was so great that it resembled a human. It is said that the height of the palm, its longevity, its gender (male, female and neutral) are all reminiscent of humans. Also, as the human head rests on its height, so does the palm crown, and as the human head carries its brain, the palm crown carries its fruit.

By beheading a palm tree, the tree is completely destroyed and dies, just like a human being who loses his life by beheading.

• When the palm bears fruit, the term palm birth is used for it. It is interesting to know that if the young palm bears fruit, the farmer threatens to kill it! To instill even more emotion, he cuts a few leaves with a saw, then someone dramatically mediates between the palm and its owner, saying, "Forgive me the sin of the palm, and punish it if it does not bear fruit next year." This tree threatens both palms and other trees in different ways in different parts of Iran; Because farmers believe that the trees are fully aware and afraid of this threat, they are doing what is necessary.

Palm And Culture

• The palm tree has such a valuable role in Iranian culture that losing it is equivalent to the death of a loved one! For example, it is said that a palm tree that dries up or burns by accident, the people of that area mourn for him as if he had lost a loved one.
• Palm tree is one of the sacred trees for Iranians.
• Dates are an important tree that has been emphasized in the Abrahamic religions. Some believe that the reason for this importance is that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) grew up in the city of Ur, which has many groves. So much so that at times the role of the palm tree was stamped on the coins.
• In the fertile crescent, the goddess of Mesopotamia and the goddess in Phenicia were depicted with a female palm tree. The goddess who was the god of love and war and was worshiped between the Hittites and the Canaanites.
• Iranians' respectful view of the palm is rooted in their historical memory. Examining the history, we realize the importance of palms in this geographical area.
• Date cheese is the central and white part of the palm tree trunk, which is crisp and sweet and is vital for the palm. In the ritual of sacrificing a palm, the ritual of making a palm cheese means killing it. To use that cheese, the palm must be destroyed (killed). This work has its own customs and traditions, during which a male palm is chosen for it. Farmers usually prefer not to use the word "palm" for this purpose, and it is called palm cheese, which is also done in the summer.

 The Last Word

Palm is a part of Iranian products that has been grown in this soil for a long time. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect that a special culture will be formed along with its cultivation. But what distinguishes this tree from other trees in Iranian culture is the special respect and look that is given to this tree! It is true that in general, in the original Iranian culture, respect and maintenance of plants is strongly recommended, but if you pay attention to the beliefs of the people, especially in the southern regions, you will notice this different view of the palm.