[muawiyah]

Islam came along much later.

[BlackVeil]

but then the Muslim traditions would have to have pre-dated the founding of their religion by about 600 years.

True. But it is quite possible that these "Islamic" customs, which are marked among the Shia and Sufis, have taken over folk traditions which long existed before them.

Also, the Zorastrian traditions of the Persian festivals, would, I suppose, have predated Christianity. And the Persians had their empire in the Holy Land several times.