Festivals

NationalNational IslamicIslamicBased on solar calender

Based on lunarcalender

Common among allIranians

Only Muslims practice

National Festivalsare based on solar calendar

Nowruz Nowruz (New year festival on 21st of Mar.) MehrganMehrgan (Autumn festival on 9th of Oct.) Yalda Yalda (The winter feast on 21st of Dec.) SadehSadeh (The fire festival on 31st Jan.) Chahar-shanbe suri Chahar-shanbe suri (Red Wednesday

bonfire festival on the last Wednesday of year)

NowRuzNowRuz=New Day=New DayNew year FestivalNew year Festivaldates back to 1200 BCdates back to 1200 BC

IranIranAzerbaijanAzerbaijanAfghanistanAfghanistanPakistanPakistanTajikistanTajikistanKurdish people in Iraq and Kurdish people in Iraq and Turkey Turkey

Iranian New Year

What do we do in Nowruz?

Spring CleaningSpring CleaningHaft-sin =7-S Haft-sin =7-S (prepare 7 items starting with letter “S” in Persian) Deed-o BazdidDeed-o Bazdid: New year visits.Sizdeh-bedarSizdeh-bedar: The Day 13 outing.

Haftsin (7-S) table

1. SSabzehabzeh

2. SSibib

3. SSirir

4. SSomaqomaq

5. SSenjedenjed

1

6. SSekkeekke

7. SSamanuamanu

Wheat sprout

Apple

Garlic

Coins

Fruit of Lotus tree

Sumac berries

Wheat pudding

Other items in Haftsin table

2 Candles2 Candles

MirrorMirrorGoldfishGoldfish

Painted EggsPainted Eggs

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

Haftsin in Trieste 21st Mar. 2007

Haftsin-Painted Egg, Trieste 2007

Nowruz market

Nowruz market: Gold-fish

Nowruz market: Painted Eggs

Sizdeh-bedarSizdeh-bedar=The day 13 outing

The day 13 outing

The day 13 outing

The day 13 outing

YaldaYalda= Winter solstice

YaldaYaldadates back to 4000 BCdates back to 4000 BC

The eve of 21st Dec.: Longest nightLongest night of the year. It marks the victory of light and sun over the forces of darknessRebirth of sun god MithraMithra (Mehr)

PastPast: Fires burnt all night+ Feast.

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

YaldaYalda Feast

Watermelon

Pomegranate

AjilAjil (Nuts, Seeds)

Red-WednesdayRed-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-WednesdayRed-Wednesday

Red-WednesdayRed-Wednesday

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

Islamic Festivalsare based on lunar calender

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

Mid-Sha'banMid-Sha'ban (Birth of 12th Imam)

Shia' All Muslims

Eid-e QorbanEid-e Qorban Eid-e FetrEid-e Fetr RamadanRamadan