Festivals National Islamic Based on solar calender Based on lunar calender Common among all Iranians Only Muslims practice

National Festivals are based on solar calendar Nowruz (New year festival on 21 st of Mar.)‏ Mehrgan (Autumn festival on 9 th of Oct.)‏ Yalda (The winter feast on 21 st of Dec.)‏ Sadeh (The fire festival on 31 st Jan.)‏ Chahar-shanbe suri ( Red Wednesday bonfire festival on the last Wednesday of year)‏

Nowruz (New year festival on 21 st of Mar.)‏

Mehrgan (Autumn festival on 9 th of Oct.)‏

Yalda (The winter feast on 21 st of Dec.)‏

Sadeh (The fire festival on 31 st Jan.)‏

Chahar-shanbe suri ( Red Wednesday bonfire festival on the last Wednesday of year)‏

NowRuz =New Day New year Festival dates back to 1200 BC Iran Azerbaijan Afghanistan Pakistan Tajikistan Kurdish people in Iraq and Turkey

Iran

Azerbaijan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Tajikistan

Kurdish people in Iraq and Turkey

Iranian New Year

What do we do in Nowruz? Spring Cleaning Haft-sin =7-S (prepare 7 items starting with letter “S” in Persian) Deed-o Bazdid : New year visits. Sizdeh-bedar : The Day 13 outing.

Spring Cleaning

Haft-sin =7-S (prepare 7 items starting with letter “S” in Persian)

Deed-o Bazdid : New year visits.

Sizdeh-bedar : The Day 13 outing.

Haftsin (7-S) table 1. S abzeh 2. S ib 3. S ir 4. S omaq 5. S enjed 1 6. S ekke 7. S amanu Wheat sprout Apple Garlic Coins Fruit of Lotus tree Sumac berries Wheat pudding

Other items in Haftsin table 2 Candles Mirror Goldfish Painted Eggs

Haftsin (7-S)‏ Google logo on 21 st of March

Haftsin in Trieste 21 st Mar. 2007

Haftsin-Painted Egg, Trieste 2007

Nowruz market

Nowruz market : Gold-fish

Nowruz market : Painted Eggs

Sizdeh-bedar =The day 13 outing

The day 13 outing

The day 13 outing

The day 13 outing

Yalda = Winter solstice

Yalda dates back to 4000 BC The eve of 21 st Dec.: Longest night of the year. It marks the victory of light and sun over the forces of darkness Rebirth of sun god Mithra (Mehr) ‏ Past : Fires burnt all night+ Feast. Now : A winter feast. In this night the family get to gather and have nuts, seeds, fruits.

The eve of 21 st Dec.: Longest night of the year.

It marks the victory of light and sun over the forces of darkness

Rebirth of sun god Mithra (Mehr) ‏

Past : Fires burnt all night+ Feast.

Now : A winter feast. In this night the family get to gather and have nuts, seeds, fruits.

Yalda Feast Watermelon Pomegranate Ajil (Nuts, Seeds) ‏

Watermelon

Red-Wednesday bonfire On the eve of the last Wednesday of Iranian calender

Jump over the fire while singing: My yellowness [paleness] for you, your redness [strength] for me. Red-Wednesday

Red-Wednesday Nowadays using firecrackers and fireworks have become quite common on this day.

Islamic Festivals are based on lunar calender Ashura is the remembrance of martyrdom of the 3 rd Imam in Shia' Mid-Sha'ban (Birth of 12 th Imam) ‏ Shia' All Muslims Eid-e Qorban Eid-e Fetr Ramadan

Ashura is the remembrance of martyrdom of the 3 rd Imam in Shia'

Mid-Sha'ban (Birth of 12 th Imam) ‏

Eid-e Qorban

Eid-e Fetr

Ramadan