Actors and celebrities at the Muharram mourning ceremony

Many Muslims opt to fast on the day of Ashura, as well as on other days in the month of Muharram, to show thankfulness.

Shia Muslims also engage in mourning rituals. Some gather at mosques to cry over Hussein’s death and to remember the importance of what the Prophet’s family did for justice, while others perform public rituals that include chest-beating, self-flagellation with chains and forehead-cutting.