Mezban

Traditional Mezban cooking in Chittagong, Bangladesh
Mezban cooking at night

Mezban (Bengali: মেজবান), locally known as Mejjan (Chittagonian: মেজ্জান) is a popular social festival held in the Chittagong region by Bengali Muslims of Bangladesh.[1] Historically Mezban is a traditional regional Bengali feast and nowadays refers to both the regional tradition and the feast that results in common usage. The famous Mezbani meal consisting of steamed white rice and hot beef, usually along with other dishes like 'chonar daal' or curry of mung bean and beef fat chunks, 'nolar kanzi' or beef bone marrow soup, and the kala bhuna or dried beef with onions. The feast is held on occasions such as death anniversary, birth anniversary, launching of a new business, the birth of a child, marriage, aqiqah and circumcision, and ear piercing of girls among others.[1][2] The invitation of the Mezban ceremony generally remains open for all and various people to different places and neighborhoods convey the invitation for the feast. The invitation cards are printed and distributed among the guests only in urban areas. Usually, the consumption of food at Mezbani takes place from morning to afternoon.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Ahmad Mamtaz (2012). "Mezban". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Majestic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).