The Total Count of Public Holidays in Iran

From the man with a painted face in his red costume dancing among the hordes of laughing people for the New Year tradition to the gatherings of grief and mourning people in black outfits from head to toe during the Muharram festival, you will see many surreal and unique sceneries in the prominent public holidays of Iran.

All the Calendars of Iran

It is not odd if you wonder why there are a lot of holidays in Iran and what Iranians do during all these public holidays.

In Iran, we use three calendars for different purposes: the official one is our old and solar Iranian calendar. Also, since we live in an Islamic country, there is a semi-official calendar that is based on our religious chronological calendar. It is lunar. Many religious ceremonies and festivals, as well as public holidays in Iran, are held based on this calendar. The third calendar is Gregorian. Since it is not official, we don’t benefit from important international holidays like Christmas. Yet, some people themselves celebrate famous Christian or Western events.

Using these two official references as Iranian calendars means commemorating many days based on Iranian traditions and religious events. Thus, we have 26 Iran holidays. Now you can see why there are a lot of public holidays in Iran. However, a lot of Iranian holidays don’t affect your journey or the vibes of the cities so much. But, in this article, we are going to discuss those holidays in Iran that do make an impact on your trip.

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The Most Important Holidays in Iran

The public holidays in Iran are both national and religious events. Some of them are also important great Iran festivals. Among the Iran national holidays, the New Year holidays are the peak of our vacations. It’s about two weeks off!

Also, we have the Muharram festival. It’s two days out of all the 26 public holidays in Iran, but the festival and its related ceremonies are about ten days.

Traditional Holidays According to the Iranian Calendar

The burning piles of wood are everywhere on the streets in the final days of winter. Yet, it should not worry you. There is no street fight or a military coup.

Every year we look forward to celebrating the Iranian new year during these days. On the last Wednesday eve, we get ready to embrace the upcoming year as well as spring by lighting up fires. This is our ancient festival, Chaharshanbe Suri. Then, the longest of Iran’s holidays starts from the last day of winter and lasts for 14 days.

The Iranian public holiday of the new year is in the spring. It is the best season to visit Iran. Because you can see all the beauties of spring here.

Nowruz Holidays

Spring in Iran starts on the 21^st of March. Also, it is the first day of the Iranian New Year and the most extended public holiday in Iran. It is when many Iranians hit the road to spend their new year in different regions. At this time, everywhere in Iran gets ready to welcome visitors from all over Iran and the world.

If you travel to Iran during these favorite public holidays of Iranians, you can see our ancient cultural celebrations. With a large number of domestic trips, you will explore Iran together with many people here and there.

Also, if you would like to get familiar with Nowruz traditions, you could book customized Nowruz tours from among various Iran tour package. That can take you deep into the cultural rituals of Iran during this occasion.

But, in case you prefer being in a calmer atmosphere, you can arrange your trip for after the end of the Nowruz holidays in early April. The weather is getting warmer; the lands are greener, and orchards are full of colorful fresh blossoms.

It depends on you and what kind of vibes and moments connect to you during your trip to Iran. If you’d like to experience more interactions with locals while wandering in the beautiful Iran nature during spring, Iran’s public holidays are the right time for you to take a trip to this land. However, if you don’t enjoy the crowd so much or have other plans for your spring break, fall is always a great option as well. Many colors paint Iran in the Fall, and the cities are less crowd.

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Religious Holidays and Festivals

Religious ceremonies and festivals have an important place in Iran. Many Iranians perform their rituals on these festival-related holidays. Depending on being a ‌celebration or mourning occasion, there are different styles of ceremonies all over Iran. These public holidays in Iran are based on the religious lunar calendar. So, you should check your travel timing to see if it coincides with any of these ceremonies.

Two examples of this kind of Iran’s holidays are the Muharram festivals and the ceremonies in the month of Ramadan. During the Muharram festival, the Iranians commemorate the tragic loss of their religious symbol for justice and righteousness. And in Ramadan, they fast for a whole month, which helps them maintain their physical and mental health. It also creates a sense of compassion for less privileged people who cannot feed themselves every day.

Read More: Religions in Iran

Traveling During Ramadan

Life in the holy month of Ramadan in Iran starts after the sun sets. It would be quite an experience for a non-Muslim visitor to visit Iran during Ramadan. You might not be able to eat as many traditional dishes during the day, but the nightlife is more alive than in any other month. Even though you have to experience the hardship of not eating in public during the long days, you’ll get to see Iran in spring, which is a great time to travel to all different regions. Besides, there are some exceptions for travelers that you can get to know about on our website.

Traveling During the Muharram Festival

If you visit Iran during the Muharram festival, you’ll see unique ceremonies of religious rituals in different regions.

Since it’s based on the lunar calendar, there is no fixed date regarding the Gregorian calendar or the solar calendar of Iran. The muharram festival in 2020 is in late August. It is in the last month of Summer in Iran. By traveling to Iran during these days, you have both worlds. Visiting the main tour route of Iran as well as watching the unique Muharram festival can be a special experience. Many visitors are astonished by the great and harmonic crowds of mourners performing their rituals.

If you are not interested in crowded places or cultural events, you can postpone your trip for a month. It’s the beginning of fall when the weather is cooler and as pleasant as spring.

Iran Holidays in 2025

14 Jan: Birthday of Imam Ali and Father’s Day

28 Jan: Prophet’s Ascension

11 Feb: Revolution Day National Holiday

14 Feb: Imam Mahdi’s birthday

19 Mar: Oil Nationalization Day

20 Mar: Nowruz (Persian New Year)

21 Mar: Nowruz Holiday

21 Mar: Martyrdom of Imam Ali

22 Mar: Nowruz Holiday

23 Mar: Nowruz Holiday

31 Mar: Eid-e-Fetr (End of Ramadan)

1 Apr: Islamic Republic Day

2 Apr: Nature Day

24 Apr: Martyrdom of Imam Sadeq

4 Jun: Demise of Imam Khomeini

5 Jun: Khordad National Uprising

6 Jun: Eid-e-Ghorban (Feast of Sacrifice)

14 Jun: Eid-e-Ghadir

5 Jul: Tassoua

6 Jul: Ashura

14 Aug: Arbaeen

22 Aug: Demise of Prophet Muhammad and Martyrdom of Imam Hassan

24 Aug: Martyrdom of Imam Reza

1 Sep: Martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari

10 Sep: Birthday of Prophet Muhammad and Imam Sadeq

24 Nov: Martyrdom of Hazrat Fatima

The Best of Iran

You are always welcome to Iran in any season and occasion. All the things we said about the public holidays in Iran and Iranian traditions are just some hints to help you organize a better and more convenient plan for your trip so that you can enjoy the best of your time visiting Iran.

In the end, if you still have any questions about the Iranian holidays, please feel free to reach out to us, and we’ll hopefully put an end to those question marks in the IranAmaze Iran travel agency.