Persian Festivals

The most important Persian festival is held in the beginning of the Persian new Year, March 21st. The exact moment that winter turns to spring is the time that the Persian new year starts. For thousands of years Persians celebrate this day for one week. This is the most celebrated Persian festival with many things to show and tell you. For more details and itinerary options please contact us or click here.

Producing Golab, which is rose water, has a very interesting festival in Iran. The distillation of damask rose (called the “Mohammadi” flower) has a unique process, which you can observe in May in Ghamsar-Kashan, Meymand-Fars. Golab has many different usages. For more details of this special festival and recommended itinerary, please contact us or click here.

Yalda Night or Shab-e-Yalda is one of the ancient Persian festivals that is celebrated in Iran every year on December 20/21. Yalda night in Persian calendar is the last night of fall - Azar 30th until the Day 1st, which is the first day of winter. It is the longest night of the year in which families and friends get together until after the midnight to be together in the absence of the sun, awaiting the coming of the sun until dawn. They read the poems of Hafez Shirazi, eat and drink specifically pomegranate, watermelon, nuts and sweets. For more information about Yalda-Night please contact us or click here.

Charshanbe-Soori is another ancient Persian festival. It is celebrated on the last Wednesday’s eve of the year before the Norouz festival. It starts from the sunset of Tuesday and lasts until after the midnight on Wednesday (the very beginning of Wednesday). The word “Soor” here means red (or ruddiness). At this night people get together and make fire and jump over the fire. As they jump over the fire, they say a particular Farsi phrase to the fire, which means “Let your redness be for me and my paleness be for you.” The fire symbolizes a cleansing or purifying that gives health to the body. This festival is very ancient, having roots in the Zoroastrian religion. For more details about this festival please contact us or click here.