Esfand · Spenta Armaiti 1397

February 20 – March 20, 2019

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

Events this month

  • Vartanants (St Vartan and his companions) · Vartanants · 9 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Armenian · Historical

    The Armenians who fell at Avarayr in 451, in today's West Azerbaijan province, on the Thursday before Great Lent.

  • Baloch Culture Day · 11 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.

  • Beginning of the Great Fast (Assyrian) · Sawma Raba · 12 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Assyrian · Cultural

    The Sunday seven weeks before Easter that opens the Great Fast, the Assyrian Church of the East's 50-day Lent.

  • Women's Right to Vote · Haqq-e Ra'y-e Zanan · 12 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.

  • Maha Shivaratri · 13 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.

  • 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).

  • Clean Monday · Kathara Deftera · 20 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.

  • Halabja chemical attack · 25 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Kurdish · Historical

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

  • 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.

  • Festival of Fire · Chaharshanbe Suri · 28 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Iranian · Ancient festival

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

  • Newroz fires (Kurdish Newroz Eve) · 29 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.

  • 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).

Other events