~ March 20-21 (spring equinox) · 13 days Also: Now Ruz, Navruz, Persian New Year
Nowruz ('New Day') is the Persian and Zoroastrian New Year, celebrated at the exact moment of the spring equinox — when day and night are equal and light begins to prevail. It is the most important festival in the Zoroastrian and Iranian calendar, predating the Islamic era by millennia.
Honored: Ahura Mazda
Traditional observances
- Set the Haft-Seen table with 7 symbolic items beginning with 'S' (e.g., sabzeh/sprouts, sib/apple, sir/garlic)
- Spring cleaning the home to welcome the new year
- Jump over bonfires on the eve of Nowruz (Chaharshanbe Suri)
- Visit family and exchange gifts
- Plant seeds symbolizing new growth
~ April 30 - May 4 (approximate) · 5 days Also: Mid-Spring, Maidhyoi-zaremaya
The first Gahambar, 'Mid-Spring.' Celebrates the creation of the sky (in Zoroastrian cosmology, Ahura Mazda created the sky first). Associated with the greening of the earth and the awakening of all life.
Honored: Ahura Mazda
Traditional observances
- Community feast and charity — food is shared with all, especially the poor
- Prayers of thanks for the sky above and the spring season
- Charitable giving and hospitality
~ June 29 - July 3 (approximate) · 5 days Also: Mid-Summer, Maidhyoi-shema
The second Gahambar, 'Mid-Summer.' Celebrates the creation of water and the coming of summer rains. Associated with Tishtrya, lord of Sirius and the rains.
Honored: Tishtrya
Traditional observances
- Prayers for rain and agricultural abundance
- Water rituals and offerings to Anahita
- Community feast focused on fresh summer foods
~ September 12-16 (approximate) · 5 days Also: Harvest Festival, Paitish-hahya
The third Gahambar, 'Bringing in the corn.' The harvest festival of Zoroastrianism, celebrating the gathering of crops. Linked to the creation of the earth.
Honored: Anahita
Traditional observances
- Give thanks for the harvest — share food with neighbors
- Prayers of gratitude to Ahura Mazda for the bounty of the earth
- First-fruits offering — present the best of the harvest
~ October 12-16 (approximate) · 5 days Also: Autumn Festival, Bringing cattle home
The fourth Gahambar, 'Bringing cattle home from pasture.' Marks the end of summer grazing and the transition to winter shelter. Associated with the creation of cattle and the protection of domestic life.
Honored: Mithra
Traditional observances
- Bring animals in from pasture — protect all creatures under your care
- Prepare the home for winter
- Honor Mithra's covenant by settling outstanding debts and disputes
~ December 30 - January 3 (approximate) · 5 days Also: Midwinter, Mid-Winter Festival
The fifth Gahambar, 'Midwinter.' The darkest time of year, when fire and light are most precious. Associated with the creation of fire. Atar (sacred fire) is central — the eternal flame must be tended with extra devotion.
Honored: Atar
Traditional observances
- Keep fires burning through the night — do not let the sacred flame go out
- Pray to Atar for warmth and protection through the dark
- Community gathering around fire for storytelling and support
~ March 16-20 (5-10 days before Nowruz) · 10 days Also: Farvardegan, All Souls, Days of the Fravashis
The sixth and final Gahambar — the festival of all souls. For ten days before Nowruz, the Fravashis (guardian spirits of the righteous dead) descend to visit their living families. Homes are cleaned, food is set out, prayers are offered to the ancestors. This is Zoroastrianism's version of All Souls — a time to honor the dead and receive their blessing.
Honored: The Fravashis (divine souls of the righteous)
Traditional observances
- Clean the home before Nowruz to welcome the returning Fravashis
- Set out food and water for the ancestor spirits
- Light fires on rooftops so the spirits can find their homes
- Pray at the graves of loved ones
- Perform acts of charity in memory of the dead
~ January 30 (approximately) Also: 100 Days before Nowruz
Sadeh ('One Hundred') is celebrated 100 days and nights before Nowruz. It is an ancient midwinter fire festival commemorating the mythical discovery of fire by the legendary king Husheng. Large bonfires are lit; the festival celebrates human mastery of fire as a gift from Ahura Mazda.
Honored: Atar
Traditional observances
- Light a great bonfire outdoors
- Gather community around the fire
- Tell the story of Husheng and the discovery of fire
~ October 2 (approximately, 196 days after Nowruz) · 6 days Also: Feast of Mithra, Persian Autumn Equinox
Mehregan is the autumn counterpart to Nowruz — the great festival of Mithra celebrated around the autumn equinox. It marks the moment when darkness begins to prevail over light, and Mithra's covenant-keeping power is invoked to sustain righteousness through the dark half of the year.
Honored: Mithra
Traditional observances
- Wear new or fine clothes — honor the occasion
- Eat pomegranates and apples
- Settle debts and quarrels — honor Mithra by keeping your word
- Pray for justice in the world
Day of Vohu Manah — the divine principle of good mind and right thought. Abstain from harm. Cultivate clarity of thought and compassion toward all creatures.
Honored: Vohu Manah (Bahman)
Traditional observances
- Abstain from meat for the day in honor of Bahman
- Spend time in contemplative prayer or meditation
- Perform an act of kindness toward animals or those in need
- Recite the Bahman Yasht if known
Honor the sacred earth and the principle of holy devotion. Tend your connection to the ground beneath your feet.
Honored: Spenta Armaiti
Traditional observances
- Go barefoot on the earth if possible
- Make an offering to the earth — pour water or bury something nourishing
- Honor the women in your life
- Reflect on your practice of devotion
The guardian souls of the righteous dead walk among the living. Welcome your Fravashis home. Light fires so they can find you.
Honored: The Fravashis
Traditional observances
- Light a lamp or fire on the roof or doorstep
- Set out water, bread, and fresh flowers for the Fravashis
- Speak the names of your honored dead
- Perform acts of charity in their memory
The world stands bright after Nowruz. Bless your seeds — literal and metaphorical — and consecrate your intentions for the season of growth.
Honored: Ahura Mazda
Traditional observances
- Bless the seeds you will plant this season
- Pray to Ahura Mazda for a fruitful and righteous year
- Make a charitable offering to those in need
- Begin a new practice or project in the spirit of Asha (Truth)
Honor the prophet who first heard the voice of Ahura Mazda and chose to speak it. His birthday is a day to renew your own commitment to truth.
Honored: Ahura Mazda
Traditional observances
- Visit a Fire Temple if possible
- Read from the Gathas — Zarathustra's own hymns in the Avesta
- Light the sacred fire and pray
- Reflect on your own commitment to Asha (Truth, Righteousness)
Honor the sacred gift of water — the blood of the earth, the breath of life. Tishtrya battles the demon of drought and sends the rains.
Honored: Tishtrya
Traditional observances
- Pour water as offering — on the earth, into a river, or at your altar
- Pray to Tishtrya for rain, abundance, and the blessing of clean water
- Splash water in play — the traditional festival involves joyful water-throwing
- Reflect on your relationship with water and what you take for granted
When month and day both bear Mithra's name, his power is doubled. Honor your covenants. Keep your word. Let no promise go unfulfilled.
Honored: Mithra
Traditional observances
- Review promises made and unkept — choose one to fulfill today
- Honor a friendship that has sustained you
- Face the sun at dawn and dedicate the day to righteous action
- Make a new commitment and speak it aloud
Honor Anahita, the pure one who flows through all waters. Seek healing, purification, and the strength that flows from source.
Honored: Anahita
Traditional observances
- Make an offering to flowing water — a river, stream, or even running tap with intention
- Pray to Anahita for healing of body, mind, and soul
- Drink fresh water mindfully, giving thanks
- Perform a ritual purification — washing hands, face, or bathing with prayer
Fire is the most sacred symbol of Ahura Mazda's presence. Tend your flame. No light must go out today — the darkness must be pushed back.
Honored: Atar
Traditional observances
- Light a fire or candle and keep it burning throughout the day
- Recite the Atash Niyayesh (fire prayer) if known
- Do not let any fire or candle go out — tend it through the day
- Meditate on the sacred fire as the presence of Ahura Mazda in the world
~ Last Tuesday evening before Nowruz (usually March 14-18) Also: Red Wednesday, Fire-Jumping Eve
Chaharshanbe Suri ('Red Wednesday') is the ancient fire festival celebrated on the last Tuesday evening before Nowruz. Bonfires are lit in the streets and people jump over them, chanting: 'Zardi-ye man az to, sorkhi-ye to az man' ('Give me your beautiful red color and take back my sickly pallor'). The fire purifies the jumper of the old year's accumulated ills. This is one of the oldest surviving pre-Islamic Iranian festivals, with roots in Zoroastrian purification theology.
Honored: Atar
Traditional observances
- Build a bonfire (or light candles in a row) and jump over the flames
- Chant: 'Give me your redness, take my yellowness' as you leap
- Burn dried herbs (rue/espand) to ward off evil and purify the air
- Break old pottery to symbolize shattering the old year's misfortunes
- Gather with family and friends for feasting and celebration
~ December 26 (approximately, 11th day of month Dey) Also: Zarathustra's Death Day, Day of Zarathustra's Passing
Zartosht No-Diso commemorates the death (or departure) of the prophet Zarathustra. According to tradition, Zarathustra was murdered at the age of 77 while praying at a fire temple in Balkh. This day is observed with solemnity, prayer, and renewed commitment to his teachings. The Gathas are read, the fire is tended with special care, and practitioners reflect on the prophet's legacy and their own faithfulness to Asha.
Honored: Ahura Mazda
Traditional observances
- Read from the Gathas -- Zarathustra's own words in the Avesta
- Light the sacred fire and tend it through the day
- Reflect on Zarathustra's life: his solitary quest for truth, his rejection of polytheism, his revelation at age 30
- Make a renewed commitment to Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds
- Visit a fire temple if possible
~ January 10 (approximately, 1st day of month Dey) Also: Dae-Beh-Mihr, Creator's Day
Jashn-e Daegan is a midwinter festival celebrating Ahura Mazda as creator. The month of Dey (the tenth month) is the only month named directly after Ahura Mazda -- making the first day doubly sacred. In the heart of winter darkness, this festival affirms that the creator is present, that the world was made with intention and goodness, and that the darkness will not prevail. Community feasts, charitable giving, and prayers of gratitude for creation mark the day.
Honored: Ahura Mazda
Traditional observances
- Offer thanks to Ahura Mazda for the gift of existence
- Host or attend a community feast -- sharing food is central
- Give to charity -- the feast of the creator demands generosity
- Reflect on what you are grateful for in creation: the natural world, relationships, consciousness itself
- Light fires against the midwinter darkness
~ June 14-18 (annual pilgrimage) · 5 days Also: Chak Chak, Pir-e Sabz
Pir-e Sabz (the 'Green Shrine'), also known as Chak Chak for the sound of water dripping inside the mountain grotto, is the most important Zoroastrian pilgrimage site in Iran, located in a cliff face in the desert mountains near Ardakan, Yazd province. Each year in mid-June, thousands of Zoroastrians gather for a five-day pilgrimage. According to tradition, the shrine marks the place where Nikbanou, the youngest daughter of the last Sasanian king Yazdegerd III, fled from the Arab invasion in 640 CE and prayed to Ahura Mazda for protection. The mountain opened and sheltered her. A spring flows eternally from the rock, and a great tree grows at the shrine entrance — green in the midst of desert. The pilgrimage includes communal prayer, fire tending, shared meals, and the renewal of community bonds among Zoroastrians from Iran and the global diaspora.
Honored: Ahura Mazda
Traditional observances
- Travel to or spiritually orient toward a sacred place — pilgrimage is the act of seeking the divine in geography
- Light a fire or candle and pray for the preservation of Zoroastrian tradition and community
- Share a communal meal — the Pir-e Sabz pilgrimage centers on fellowship and shared food
- Reflect on what you would protect at all costs — what is your Nikbanou's prayer?
- Pour water as an offering — the spring at Chak Chak is the miracle at the heart of the shrine
Also: Tiri Festival, Star of Rain
Jashn-e Tiri is a summer festival honoring the day when the name of the month (Tir) and the name of the day (Tir) coincide — doubling the sacred power of Tishtrya, the yazad of the star Sirius who brings the rains. The Tishtar Yasht (Yasht 8) describes Tishtrya's cosmic battle against the demon of drought Apaosha: Tishtrya takes the form of a white horse and gallops across the sky, finally defeating the black horse of drought and releasing the rains. This is a day of joy, water, and gratitude for the life-giving power of summer storms.
Honored: Tishtrya
Traditional observances
- Pour water freely — splash water, wash hands in flowing water, pour libations
- Pray for rain and abundance in the tradition of the Tishtar Yasht
- Tell the story of Tishtrya's battle against Apaosha — the white horse defeats the black horse
- Tie rainbow-colored threads to your wrist or hang them in your home (traditional Tiregan custom)
- Give thanks for water in all its forms