List of festivals in Iran


The following list is a list of festivals in Iran.

Iranian cultural festivals

  • Nowruz: The word of "Norouz" includes two parts; "no" that means "new" and "ruz OR rouz" which means "day", so "Nowruz" means starting a new day and it is the Celebration of the start of spring. It starts on the first day of spring, 21 March, in that 12 days as a sign of the past 12 months, all Iranian families gather around to visit each other.

  • Sofre-ye Haft-Sin: sofre, haft, sin. Al-Bīrūnī said: Haft-sin came from Jamshid since he destroyed the evil that made Persian lands weak, so on the first day of Iranian calendar people celebrated Norouz and they put 7 different symbolic items on their table as a sign of thanking nature for giving humans all they need. Since then every year Iranians put Haft-sin on their tables, but nowadays they put 7 things that start with letter "S ".
  • Sizdah Bedar: Persian Festival of "Joy and Solidarity". The 13th and last day of Norouz celebration. Because of the end of twelve days they celebrate the 13th day as a new beginning of the next twelve month and it has no relations with the number 13.
  • Mehregan: Festival of Mehr. A day of thanksgiving. It is a day which everyone shows the mehr or the love they have for each other and it is one of the most important days in the year.
  • Jashn-e Sade: A mid-winter feast to honor fire and to "defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold" in which people gather around and build a fire so that they can assist the revival of the sun to bring back warmth and summer.
  • Shab-e Yalda: Also known as The turning point. End of the longest night of the year, and beginning of growing of the days.
  • Sepandarmazgan: Day of Love, Friendship and Earth in ancient Persian culture.
  • Chaharshanbe Suri: Festival of Fire, last Wednesday night in the Iranian Calendar year..
  • Shast-Sheshi festival is held annually near Isfahan. Beginning on the sixty-sixth day after Nowruz, the festival corresponds in date and function to the ancient feast of Khordadgan, dedicated to the divinity Khordad, the female guardian of water.

    Religious festivals

Zoroastrianism

The basis of nearly all of Iranian national festivals are from its Pre-Islamic Zoroastrian era. However, there are some festivals that are celebrated exclusively by Zoroastrians and some with less extent in other communities too.
  • Khordadgân: Celebration of the 6th day of Iranian calendar. Khordad is one of the Izadans name which means completeness. In this day people used to go near the river or a sea to thank God for everything and they gave each other flowers as a sign of happiness. A rare surviving form of Khordadgan is celebrated as the Shast-Sheshi festival annually in the village of Sian in Isfahan Province.
  • Bahmanagân: Also maintained by Iranian Muslims until the Mongol invasion. The festival was celebrated on the second day of the month of Bahman, under the name Bahmanjana. Apparently, Bahmanjana is a modified form of the original Bahmanagân.
  • Sepandarmazgân Bahmanagân: Esfandegān or Spandegān is the day of love.
  • Farvardingân: Festival of the Forouhar.
  • Jašne Sade: Festival of Fire. Lit. the 100th day.
  • Jašne Mehregân: Festival of Mihr. A day of thanksgiving dedicated to the highest Angel, Mithra.
  • Jašne Tiregân: Festival of Tir. A day dedicated to Tishtrya, Angel of the star Sirius and rain. Also celebrated in some Muslim regions in Iran including Mazandaran.
  • Nowruz: New Year's Day. March.
  • Khordad Sal: Birthday of the Prophet Zarathushtra.
  • Zartosht No-Diso: Anniversary commemorating the death of the Prophet Zarathushtra.
  • Azargân: The day of fire commonly held by Zoroastrians in their Fire Temples.
  • Abanegân: A celebration for the goddess Naheed.
  • Amordadegân: without Death

    Islamic

  • Eid-e Fetr: "The Festival of Fast-Breaking" which comes at the end of Ramadan. People give gifts and money to the poor, the sick and others.
  • * Ramadan : Iranians have special recipes as Zoolbia-Bamieh, Shole Zard, Ferni, Halva and Ash Reshteh in Ramezan.
  • Nimeh Şaabân: celebration for the twelfth and final Shi'a Imam. The festival consists of some fireworks and decorating the cities with lights, bulbs and trees.
  • Shab-e Qadr: the "Night of Qadr" towards the end of Ramadan, which is when the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad. Iranians stay awake during the nights and some light candles and listen to Dua while reciting the Qur'an.
  • Eid-e Qurban: "The Festival of Sacrifice". In Iran, some wealthy people and farmers sacrifice their herds and offer the meat to neighbors and the poor as charity.
  • Eid-e Ghadir Khumm: is a Shia feast, and is considered to be among the "significant" feasts of Shia Islam. The Eid is held on 18 Dhu Al-Hijjah at the time when the Islamic prophet Muhammad was said to have appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor.
  • Shiite and Sunni unity week for the birth of the Prophet of Islam: 12-17 Rabiʽ al-Awwal
  • Birth of Hasan ibn Ali: 15 Ramadan
  • Birth of Husayn ibn Ali: 3 Sha'ban
  • Birth of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin: 5 Sha'ban
  • Birth of Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn : 11 Sha'ban
  • Birth of Ali ibn Abi Talib: 13 Rajab
  • Fatimah bint Musa birthday : 1 taste
  • Birth of Ali al-Ridha: 11 Dhu al-Qadah
  • Eid al-Fitr of the Prophet of Islam: 27 Rajab
  • Celebrating the beginning of the Imamate of Muhammad al-Mahdi: 9th of Rabiʽ al-Awwal
  • Marriage celebration of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah: 1 Dhu al-Hijjah

    Christian

The majority of Iranian Christians are Armenian-Iranians also known as Parska-Hye who follow the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Oriental Orthodox branch of Christianity. This minority has their very own special festivals and traditions.
There is also a significant minority of Assyrian people who follow the Oriental Orthodox Christian Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church, these two church groups also have a minority of Persian followers. The followers of this church have a blend of Persian and Assyrian culture.
Iran has a large and fast growing Christian community gaining popularity amongst Persians. During Christmas times, Christmas trees can be seen from windows in Tehran and north-western provinces. Although Christmas has an official recognition in Iran, it is not a national holiday.

Jewish

Iranian Jews celebrate all the same holidays as Jews worldwide, but often maintain unique customs in the observance of those holidays. Some more uniquely Iranian traditions include: