Ashura is the transliteration of Arabic "عاشر" means tenth. According to the Islamic calendar, this day is January 10th in the Islamic calendar, which is the most important sacrificial festival.Ashura date in 2021 takes place on the 18th of August ，that is January 10th 1443AH.
For most Muslims, Ashura is the day when Moses and the Israelites were rescued by God from the Pharaoh. This day is the National Martyrs' Day in Muslim countries.On this day, the Prophet Musa performed a miracle with the help of Allah. He was able to divide the sea into two parts，creating a road to save his prople from the Pharaoh.While Pharaoh's army was drowned. Therefore, Jews used to fast on Ashura.But nowadays,fasting is obligatory in Ramadan only.
For Shiite and Sufi Muslims, this day marks the death of Hussein Ibn Ali, the third Shiite Imam and the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala.The Battle of Karbala, one of the battles in the Second Civil War of Islam. In 680, the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty died, and his son Yezid succeeded to the throne, creating a hereditary system of caliphate.
Five main rituals were developed around the Battle of Karbala. These ceremonies include a memorial service, visits to the Mausoleum of Hussein in Karbala, especially on the tenth day of Ashura and the fortieth day after the battle, public mourning processions or a dramatic interpretation of the battle of Karbala, and the flagellation.
Some Shiite Muslims believe that participating in Ashura can wash away their sins.As the popular Shia saying goes: "a single tear shed for Husayn washes away a hundred sins."