Latmiyas

A latmiyat (   لطميات  .  ) is a Muharram ritual expressing grief through poetry with thumping of the chest, usually done by Shia muslims. While it is known as latmiya, latmaya, or latmia in Arabia-Persian countries, it is known in India and Pakistan as matam or matam-dari/sina zani (chest beating). A latmiyat may also incorporate clapping, which expresses joy, while chest-thumping expresses sadness. Latmiyas are often done in remembrance of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad.

Latmiyas are a part of the Mourning of Muharram, which is a set of rituals commemorating the Battle of Karbala (AD 680/AH 61), and the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali (grandson of Muhammad) by the forces of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad.