Esfand · Spenta Armaiti 1391

February 19 – March 20, 2013

SatSunMonTueWedThuFri
1 19 Feb 2 20 3 21 4 22
5 23 6 24 7 25 8 26 9 27 10 28 11 1 Mar
12 2 13 3 14 4 15 5 16 6 17 7 18 8
19 9 20 10 21 11 22 12 23 13 24 14 25 15
26 16 27 17 28 18 29 19 30 20

Events this month

  • Purim · 6 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Jewish · Cultural

    The rescue of the Jews of Persia told in the Book of Esther. Iranian Jews have long marked it at the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai in Hamadan. Begins at sunset the evening before.

  • Chotrul Düchen (Day of Miracles) · Chotrul Duchen · 7 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Buddhist · Cultural

    The first full moon after Losar, closing the fifteen days of the Buddha's miracles at Shravasti, kept with displays of butter lamps.

  • Magha Puja (Sangha Day) · Magha Puja · 7 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Buddhist · Cultural

    The gathering of 1,250 enlightened disciples before the Buddha, on the full moon of Magha (Sri Lanka's Navam Poya); in Thai leap years Thailand keeps it a month later.

  • Baloch Culture Day · 12 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Baloch · Cultural

    The Baloch people's day for their culture, kept every 2 March since 2010 with Baloch dress, folk music, dances and food, in Balochistan, Iran, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf states.

  • Women's Right to Vote · Haqq-e Ra'y-e Zanan · 13 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Iranian · Historical

    Iranian women gained the right to vote and to stand for parliament by government decree (3 March 1963), after a referendum in which women voted.

  • Women's March Against Compulsory Hijab · 17 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Iranian · Historical

    On International Women's Day, tens of thousands of women marched in Tehran against the new rule of compulsory hijab (17 Esfand 1357; 8 March 1979).

  • Maha Shivaratri · 20 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Hindu · Cultural

    The great night of Shiva, kept with a night-long fast and vigil on the 14th night of the waning moon of Magha (Phalguna in the northern reckoning), in February or March.

  • Completion of the Shahnameh · Payan-e Sorayesh-e Shahnameh · 25 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Iranian · Cultural

    Ferdowsi finished the Shahnameh, the Persian Book of Kings, in 1010 after some thirty years' work.

  • Halabja chemical attack · 26 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Kurdish · Historical

    Saddam Hussein's regime gassed the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988, killing thousands.

  • Clean Monday · Kathara Deftera · 28 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Christian · Cultural

    The first day of Great Lent, 48 days before Orthodox Easter; a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus, with kites and lagana bread.

  • Festival of Fire · Chaharshanbe Suri · 29 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Iranian · Ancient festival

    Bonfires on the eve of the year's last Wednesday, to leave the old year's troubles behind.

  • Oil Nationalization · Melli Shodan-e San'at-e Naft · 29 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Iranian · Historical

    Under Mohammad Mosaddegh's leadership, Iran's oil industry was nationalized: the Majlis passed the law on 24 Esfand and the Senate on 29 Esfand 1329 (20 March 1951).

  • Newroz fires (Kurdish Newroz Eve) · 30 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Kurdish · Ancient festival

    On the evening of 20 March Kurds light the Newroz bonfires, as the legend says Kawa the blacksmith did after overthrowing the tyrant Zahhak.

Other events