Nowruz, the Persian New Year, occurs on the spring equinox, typically March 20 or 21 depending on astronomical calculations. The celebration marks the first day of Farvardin, the first month in the Iranian calendar. Nowruz has been observed for over 3,000 years, predating Islam and originating in Zoroastrian tradition. UNESCO inscribed Nowruz on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Iranians begin preparations approximately two weeks before the equinox with Chaharshanbe Suri, a fire-jumping festival held on the last Tuesday evening of the year. Families set up Haft-Seen tables displaying seven items beginning with the Persian letter seen: sabzeh (wheat or lentil sprouts), samanu (wheat germ pudding), senjed (dried oleaster fruit), seer (garlic), seeb (apple), somaq (sumac), and serkeh (vinegar). Many families add a goldfish bowl, painted eggs, coins, hyacinth flowers, and a mirror with candles. The thirteen-day holiday period includes visits to family elders on the first day, with the eldest family member distributing crisp new banknotes as eidi (gifts) to younger relatives. Iranians spend the thirteenth day, Sizdah Be-dar, outdoors to avoid bad luck associated with the number thirteen. People picnic in parks, gardens, and natural areas, discarding their sabzeh into running water to symbolically release the previous year's misfortune. Government offices, banks, and schools close for the entire thirteen-day period. Nowruz celebrations extend beyond Iran to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, and communities throughout Central Asia.
Tasua and Ashura fall on the ninth and tenth days of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. These dates shift approximately eleven days earlier each Gregorian year due to the lunar calendar. Ashura commemorates the death of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Shia Muslims consider Hussein's martyrdom a defining event in Islamic history and the foundational narrative of Shia identity. Iranian cities hold processions featuring chest-beating (sine-zani), chain-flagellation (zanjeer-zani), and dramatic reenactments called ta'zieh. Participants dress in black and green, with some men bare-chested despite winter temperatures that can reach freezing in Tehran and below zero Celsius in Tabriz. Mourning processions in Tehran attract hundreds of thousands of participants, with the largest gatherings moving through central areas toward the Shah Abdol Azim Shrine in Rey. Mashhad processions near the Imam Reza Shrine can involve over one million participants across the two days. Communities set up sabils (refreshment stations) offering free tea, dates, halvah, and meals to mourners. The government broadcasts ta'zieh performances on state television throughout Muharram. Restaurants and music venues close on Tasua and Ashura. Some Iranians travel to Karbala in Iraq for the commemoration, with numbers exceeding two million in recent years despite political tensions affecting cross-border movement.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, requires fasting from dawn to sunset. The month shifts approximately eleven days earlier annually. Fasting becomes obligatory at puberty for healthy Muslims, with exemptions for travelers, menstruating women, pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, and the ill. Iranians break their fast at iftar with dates and tea, following the tradition of Prophet Muhammad. The call to prayer from mosques signals the exact moment of iftar, which varies by geographic location and ranges from approximately 7:00 PM in summer to 5:00 PM in winter. Families prepare large meals featuring ash-e reshteh, halim (wheat and meat porridge), various types of bread, fresh herbs, cheese, watermelon, and sweets. Many Iranians attend mosques for tarawih prayers after the evening meal. Some mosques and charitable organizations host communal iftar gatherings feeding hundreds or thousands. Restaurants and cafes close during daylight hours or operate behind curtained windows. Markets extend their hours, remaining open until midnight or later to accommodate shopping for suhur (pre-dawn meal) and iftar. The last ten days of Ramadan hold special significance, with Shia Muslims observing Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Decree) on the 19th, 21st, or 23rd of Ramadan, believed to be when the Quran was first revealed. These nights see maximum mosque attendance, particularly at major shrines in Mashhad and Qom. Ramadan concludes with Eid al-Fitr, a three-day celebration marked by special prayers, family visits, gift-giving, and consumption of sweets including baklava, zoolbia, and bamiyeh.
Eid al-Adha occurs on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth Islamic month, shifting approximately eleven days earlier each Gregorian year. The four-day festival commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. Iranian families who can afford it sacrifice a sheep, goat, cow, or camel, dividing the meat into thirds for household consumption, gifts to relatives, and charity to the poor. Urban sacrifice occurs at designated slaughterhouses or through charitable organizations that distribute meat to specified recipients. The festival coincides with the conclusion of Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Iranian pilgrims returning from Hajj receive celebratory welcomes at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran and other airports, with families gathering to greet returning relatives. Government offices and schools close for two to four days depending on how the holiday falls relative to weekends. Families visit elders, prepare special meals, and wear new clothes. Tehran's Grand Bazaar and other markets experience high activity in the days before Eid as families purchase clothing, sweets, and nuts. Religious programming dominates television broadcasts, including coverage of Hajj rituals from Mecca and Medina.
Yalda Night occurs on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, falling on December 20 or 21. The celebration dates to ancient Persia and carries Zoroastrian origins marking the victory of light over darkness and the sun's rebirth. Families gather at the homes of elders, traditionally grandparents, on Yalda Night. Tables display specific foods including pomegranates, watermelons saved from summer, persimmons, dried nuts, ajil (mixed nuts and dried fruit), and sweets. The red color of pomegranate and watermelon symbolizes dawn and the glow of life. Families stay awake past midnight, reciting poetry from the Divan of Hafez, Iran's beloved 14th-century poet from Shiraz. A common tradition involves making a wish while opening the Divan randomly and interpreting the first poem read as guidance or prophecy for the coming year. Elders tell stories and young family members serve tea and fruit throughout the night. Some households prepare shab chehreh, a mixture of seven dried fruits and nuts left under the stars overnight and consumed the next morning for health. Unlike Nowruz, Yalda is not a public holiday and people work normal hours the following day, though many arrive tired from minimal sleep. The celebration occurs across all regions of Iran regardless of ethnic or religious differences, observed by Persian, Azeri, Kurdish, and other Iranian populations.