Iranian celebrations
Iranian celebrations, monthly name-days and local traditions with dates, sources and family activities.
Major celebrations
Nowruz
Nowruz welcomes the new year and spring. In Iran, familiar customs include cleaning the home, visiting others and setting a haft-sin table; practices differ across countries.
Yalda
Yalda, also called Chella, brings families together on autumn’s final night for stories and poetry. The tradition is practiced in Iran and Afghanistan, with variations between families.
Chaharshanbe Suri
Chaharshanbe Suri is an Iranian end-of-year celebration. Fire and local customs such as spoon-banging feature in accounts; not every modern practice has the same securely documented antiquity.
Sizdah Bedar
Sizdah Bedar is associated with spending the day outdoors near the end of the Nowruz holiday. Claims that a particular king established it require separate evidence.
Mehregan
Mehregan is associated with harvest time and gathering together. Practices vary in Iran and Tajikistan and between communities; no single form represents them all.
Sadeh
Sadeh is a winter celebration centered on light, fire and gathering. It takes different forms in Iran and Tajikistan and is also connected with preparing for the agricultural season.
Tirgan
Tirgan is an Iranian celebration associated with water. Literary tradition connects it with Arash; this mythical narrative is not a verified historical event.
Sepandarmazgan
Sepandarmazgan is connected with the earth and honoring women in Iranian traditions. Its modern description as an Iranian day of love does not capture its entire historical meaning.
Name-day celebrations
Farvardingan
Farvardingan falls on Farvardin day in Farvardin month. It is distinct from year-end Frawardigan.
Ordibeheshtgan
Ordibeheshtgan joins matching day and month names. Its name is associated with truth and, in older tradition, fire.
Khordadgan
Khordadgan falls on Khordad day in Khordad month. Khordad is associated with wholeness and water.
Amordadgan
Amordadgan joins Amordad day and month. In older tradition the name is connected with immortality and plants.
Shahrivargan
Shahrivargan falls on Shahrivar day in Shahrivar month. Older texts connect the name with sovereignty and metals.
Abangan
Abangan falls on Aban day in Aban month and is associated with water. Different calendars do not always yield the same Gregorian date.
Azargan
Adur names the ninth day and ninth month. Azargan is connected with this correspondence and fire.
Deygan
Deygan is not a single day. In the name-day tradition, four days in Dey month are associated with the creator.
Bahmangan
Bahmangan falls on Bahman day in Bahman month. The name is connected with good thought; the form Bahmanjana is also documented.
Seasonal observances
Maidyozarem
The first Gahanbar, named in connection with mid-spring.
Maidyoshem
The second Gahanbar, with a name connected to midsummer.
Paitishahem
The third Gahanbar, with a name associated with gathering grain.
Ayathrem
The fourth Gahanbar, interpreted as homecoming.
Maidyarem
The fifth Gahanbar, with a name meaning midyear.
Hamaspathmaedaya
The sixth Gahanbar; the meaning of its name is debated.
Local and other traditions
Year-end Frawardigan
Year-end Frawardigan is a Zoroastrian period of remembering the departed, distinct from Farvardingan in Farvardin month.
Esbandi of Kashan
Esbandi is a local Kashan-area tradition before Esfand in an older calendar. Its foods and practices are regional.
Tirema-sizde
Tirema-sizde belongs to local northern Iranian calendars. Local Tir month should not automatically be equated with Tir in the official calendar.
Nowruzbal
Nowruzbal is connected with Gilan’s new year and the Deylami calendar, distinct from spring Nowruz.
Shast-Sheshi of Jarquyeh
Shast-Sheshi is documented in Jarquyeh near Isfahan. Field research examines its relationship with Khordadgan.
Abrizagan
Abrizagan denotes water-pouring in different sources and is not always a wholly separate celebration from Tirgan.
Golabgiri: rosewater traditions
Golabgiri is a seasonal tradition of picking roses and making rosewater, known from Qamsar. It is not a national holiday with one fixed date.
Similar names are not always separate observances. Local traditions are identified with sources and context; this list does not claim every custom in every region.