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Iranian festivals

Iranian festivals, ceremonies and rituals offer great opportunities to get more familiar with Iranian culture. Nowadays, the most interesting factor encouraging everyone to travel is the culture in destinations. So if you like to know more about Persian culture, you may like to know more about Iranian festivals. Iran Destination provides you with any information you need to travel to Iran. Read the following article to get all about top festivals in Iran.

Iran Holidays

Iranian Festivals

Iranian Festivals

Iranian festivals: Iranian Yalda Festival

Yalda night is the longest night of the year, also called winter solstice, and it is celebrated by all Iranians as the victory of light over darkness or good over evil. Every year, on December 21st, Iranians celebrate the arrival of winter; because ancient Iranians believed the dawning of each year was marked by the re-emergence or rebirth of the sun. But what do Iranians do in this festival?

Well, all Iranians gather in their family home; mostly the elderly’s, such as grandparents; and they read Persian heroic poems in Shahnameh and also get guidance from Hafez Poems. There are some special fruits and nuts used during Yalda night. They include mixed nuts and red fruits like watermelon and pomegranates. This red color symbolized the red of dawn. You can read more about Yalda night on our YALDA NIGHT article.

Shab-e Yalda

Yalda night - Iranian Festivals

Yalda night

Iranian festivals: Chaharshanbe Suri – Persian Fire Festival

The last Wednesday of the year in solar calendar is celebrated by Iranians as Shahr Shanbeh Souri. Zoroastrianism root This festival and it sometimes called the Red Wednesday. Iranians gather together outdoors and make a fire, and try to jump over it, reading the song “your red color for me and my yellow color for you”. This is meant that Iranians try to send away their yellow pallor and negative energies and receive the warm energy of the fire. This is one of the amazing Iranian festivals.

Persian festival of Fire: Chaharshanbe Soori

Chahar Shanbe Suri - Iranian Festivals

Chahar Shanbe Suri – Iranian Festivals

Chahar Shanbe Suri - Iranian Festivals

Chahar Shanbe Suri – Iranian Festivals

Iranian festivals: Nowrouz – Persian New Year Festival

Iranians celebrate the spring begins, Persian New Year  in a festival called Nowrouz. Nowruz means a new day and this festival lasts for 13 days. This is inscribed on UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity in 2010. During Nowruz and also before that, the streets are full of excitement, as Iranian people are all out trying to have their holiday shopping and selecting some stuff for their Haft Sin Table. If you walk around in the streets, you will see Haji Firuz as well. Haji Firuz is a jovial character singing and playing tambourine in the streets. He is actually announcing the arrival of the New Year and makes everyone happy. To Read more about Nowruz, Click here.

What is Nowruz Festival?

Haji Firuz, Nowruz- Iranian Festivals

Haji Firuz, Nowruz- Iranian Festivals

Iranian festivals: Sizdah Bedar – Iranian Nature Day

Nature day in Persian culture is the last day of Nowruz, i.e. the 13th day. This final day is called Sizdah Bedar (Sizdah means 13 in Persian). All the families go outside the house and spend the whole day in nature or parks. They play games, grill kebab and of course have their ever-present tea. The reason they stay out all the day is to avoid bad luck of the 13th day. You can simply join a family and enjoy this day. Don’t worry; Iranians are so hospitable that they won’t reject your request. You can read more about this in our article on Iranian Nature Day.

sizdah bedar - Iranian Festivals

Traditional dance in this celebrate

Tasua – Iran Religious Festival

Tasua is The 9th day of the Islamic Month, Muharram. This is the anniversary of the 7th – century martyrdom Abulfazl Al-Abbas, one of the Islamic heroes who accompanied Imam Hussain in Karbala. People march down the streets or gather in different mosques all over Iran and hold mourning ceremonies. Also, you can easily find Nazri, or votive food offerings, anywhere in the cities. The best place to see Tasua Festival is Zanjan which has been so famous and popular during the past years. To get when is Tasua in Persian holidays, read our article on Iran Holidays.

Tasua - Iranian Festivals

Tasua – Iranian Festivals

Ashura – Iran Religious Festival

Ashura is exactly the day after Tasua; i.e. it is held during the 10th day of Muharram. This is the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, Prophet Muhammad’s grandson (PBUH). The performance art of Ta’zieh, which is also inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, shows Imam Hussein’s martyrdom in the battle of Karbala which is saddening to Iranian people.

held in the city of Khorram Abad is another special ritual during this days. Peoplein this city engage in the symbolic ceremony of Kharrah Mali (Mud Rubbing), which design to show their grief. Ashura is among unique Iranian festivals you’d better see yourself. This is not happening anywhere else, because Islamic countries have their own special way of mourning during this day. So think about this ceremony, if you are interested to know more about Iranian religious beliefs and cultures. You can find when this day falls on Gregorian calendar in our article on Iran Holidays.

Ta'zie in Ashura- Iranian Festivals

Ta’zie in Ashura- Iranian Festivals

Kashan Rose Water Festival

The most delightful festival to your eyes and nose is the Rose Water Festival in Kashan, Isfahan. Actually, Kashan is mostly known for its historical houses, but the interesting point is that, in this desert city, you can find so many fragrant pink roses specially in Qamsar and Niasar Villages. When you visit the beautiful villages you can smell the Pink Roses and be fresh to experience an amazing times there.

Above all, The best time to engage in this festival is in May to June each year. What happens in this festival is actually extracting the water from the delicate flowers you see around you. This rose water also use in Persian cuisine and also in beauty products.

Kashan Rose Water- Iranian Festivals

Kashan Rose Water-

Iranian festivals: Saffron Harvest – Red Gold Festival

cultivated in Iran already know the most expensive spice in the world. Yes, Saffron is probably the lightest precious souvenir you’ll buy in Iran. in other word, We have to confess Iranian Saffron is the best in the world. Iranians use saffron in most of their foods.

During fall, there is a festival of saffron harvest mostly in north-east cities of Iran. Khorasan province is the most well-known city in Iran cultivating saffron. But in Natanz you can also see this festival. They pick the saffron flower and then pluck the red stigmas and finally they let these stigmas dry. This process is so intensive that makes the spice such precious. Read more about this Persian Red Gold in our article on Persian Saffron.

Persian Saffron - Iranian festivals

Persian Saffron, Red Gold.

About 10 best iran tours & trips 2021/2022

Iran tourism is very attractive for tourists from different parts of the world. These trips are held in the form of 10 best iran tour & trips 2021/2022 to several destinations in one region. Also, sometimes tours from the north to the south of Iran. Iran tours are very attractive due to the conditions of the event. If you are planning to visit Iran, be sure to participate in these tours. Of course, Nowruz tours in Iran are much more diverse. Also, you can take full advantage of the Nowruz holiday for Iran tours.

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