Esfand · Spenta Armaiti 1403

February 19 – March 20, 2025

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

  • Maha Shivaratri · 8 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.

  • 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.

  • Losar (Tibetan New Year) · Losar · 10–12 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Buddhist · Cultural

    The Tibetan New Year, the first day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, celebrated for fifteen days with the main festivities on the first three.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Clean Monday · Kathara Deftera · 13 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.

  • 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).

  • Chotrul Düchen (Day of Miracles) · Chotrul Duchen · 24 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.

  • Holi · 24 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Hindu · Cultural

    The spring festival of colours, the day after the bonfire of the Phalguna full moon, in February or March (India's official holiday list: a day later in 2027).

  • Purim · 24 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.

  • Hola Mohalla · 25 Esfand · Spenta Armaiti

    Sikh · Cultural

    The Sikh festival of martial skills at Anandpur Sahib, the day after Holi, begun by Guru Gobind Singh in 1701.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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