Persian Calendar: Months, Days of the Week & Seasons in Farsi

The Persian calendar is one of the world’s most accurate solar calendars — and it is still the official calendar of Iran and Afghanistan. This guide covers the names of all 12 Persian months, 7 days of the week, and 4 seasons in Farsi, with pronunciation, cultural meaning, and the Gregorian date equivalents you need.

If you are learning Farsi, have Persian family, or simply want to understand dates, events, and cultural references in the Iranian calendar — this is the vocabulary you need. Persian month names are not arbitrary: they come from ancient Zoroastrian mythology, represent divine beings, virtues, and natural forces, and tell you something important about Persian culture every time you say them.

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The 12 Persian months

Persian Calendar Months — All 12 Names with Meaning

The Persian year begins at the spring equinox — usually 20 or 21 March — with the month of Farvardin. Each of the 12 months corresponds to a Zoroastrian deity or divine concept. The first six months have 31 days, the next five have 30 days, and the last month (Esfand) has 29 days (or 30 in a leap year).

🌱 بهار (Bahār) — Spring: Months 1–3

Month 1 · 31 days فروردین Farvardin March 20 – April 19 Gregorian equivalent From Fravashi — the guardian spirits of the righteous. The month of new beginnings and Nowruz.

Month 2 · 31 days اردیبهشت Ordibehesht April 20 – May 20 Gregorian equivalent From Asha Vahishta — “Best Righteousness.” The ideal name — Ordibehesht is considered the most beautiful month in Iran.

Month 3 · 31 days خرداد Khordad May 21 – June 20 Gregorian equivalent From Haurvatat — “Perfection” or “Wholeness.” Associated with water and health.

☀️ تابستان (Tābistān) — Summer: Months 4–6

Month 4 · 31 days تیر Tir June 21 – July 22 Gregorian equivalent From Tishtrya — the rain deity and star Sirius. A month of midsummer heat in Iran.

Month 5 · 31 days مرداد Mordad July 23 – August 22 Gregorian equivalent From Amordad — “Immortality.” The deity of plants and immortality. The height of summer.

Month 6 · 31 days شهریور Shahrivar August 23 – September 22 Gregorian equivalent From Shahrevar — “Desirable Dominion.” Associated with metals and the power of good rulers.

🍂 پاییز (Pāyiz) — Autumn: Months 7–9

Month 7 · 30 days مهر Mehr September 23 – October 22 Gregorian equivalent From Mithra — the deity of covenant, light, and friendship. مهر also means love and affection in modern Farsi.

Month 8 · 30 days آبان Ābān October 23 – November 21 Gregorian equivalent From Apam Napat — the deity of water. آب means water in modern Farsi — this month connects directly to the rains.

Month 9 · 30 days آذر Āzar November 22 – December 21 Gregorian equivalent From Atar — the deity of fire. آذر is also a Persian given name meaning “fire.” Yalda Night (the longest night) falls at the end of this month.

❄️ زمستان (Zemestān) — Winter: Months 10–12

Month 10 · 30 days دی Dey December 22 – January 20 Gregorian equivalent From Dadvah — meaning “the Creator” or the divine name of Ahura Mazda. The deepest month of winter.

Month 11 · 30 days بهمن Bahman January 21 – February 19 Gregorian equivalent From Vohu Manah — “Good Mind” or “Good Thought.” One of the most important Zoroastrian virtues. Also a popular Persian name.

Month 12 · 29/30 days اسفند Esfand February 20 – March 19/20 Gregorian equivalent From Spenta Armaiti — “Holy Devotion.” The final month of the year, ending on Nowruz eve. Esfand (wild rue) is also burned as incense to ward off evil eye in Persian culture.

Nowruz 1405 — the Persian New Year: The year 1404 ended on 19 March 2026 and 1405 began on 20 March 2026 at the exact moment of the spring equinox. Nowruz (نوروز — “New Day”) is one of the oldest celebrations in the world, observed for over 3,000 years. It is now recognised by the United Nations as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Yalda Night (شب یلدا — Shab-e Yaldā): The longest night of the year, falling on the last night of Āzar (21 or 22 December). Families gather, read Hafez, eat pomegranates and watermelon, and stay awake together. It is one of the most beloved celebrations in the Persian calendar.

Days of the week

Days of the Week in Farsi

The Persian week follows the same seven-day structure as the Gregorian calendar, but the names are completely different — and the week starts on Saturday (شنبه — shanbeh), not Monday or Sunday. Friday is the day of rest in Iran.

Farsi	Day	Note
شنبهshanbeh	Saturday	First day of the Persian week
یکشنبهyekshandeh	Sunday	Lit. “One-shanbeh”
دوشنبهdoshanbeh	Monday	Lit. “Two-shanbeh”
سه‌شنبهseshanbeh	Tuesday	Lit. “Three-shanbeh”
چهارشنبهchahārshandeh	Wednesday	Lit. “Four-shanbeh”
پنجشنبهpanjshandeh	Thursday	Lit. “Five-shanbeh”
جمعهjom’eh	Friday	Day of rest in Iran — from Arabic جمعة (gathering/congregation)

The shanbeh system: Six of the seven Persian days of the week are built on a single root — شنبه (shanbeh = Saturday). The pattern is beautifully logical: یک (one), دو (two), سه (three), چهار (four), پنج (five) + shanbeh. If you know the Persian numbers 1–5, you know most of the days of the week. Only Friday (جمعه — jom’eh) stands apart, borrowed from Arabic.

Weekend in Iran: The Iranian weekend is Thursday–Friday (پنجشنبه و جمعه), not Saturday–Sunday. Saturday is the first working day. This is one of the most practically important things to know when communicating with family in Iran.

Learn calendar vocabulary with a native tutor

Knowing the names is the start. Using them naturally in conversation — “امروز چندمه؟” (What’s today’s date?) — is what a Farsi tutor teaches you from lesson one.

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Seasons in Farsi

The Four Seasons in Farsi

بهار bahār Spring

تابستان tābistān Summer

پاییز pāyiz Autumn / Fall

زمستان zemestān Winter

Farsi	Season	Persian months
بهارbahār	Spring	Farvardin, Ordibehesht, Khordad
تابستانtābistān	Summer	Tir, Mordad, Shahrivar
پاییزpāyiz	Autumn / Fall	Mehr, Ābān, Āzar
زمستانzemestān	Winter	Dey, Bahman, Esfand

Talking about dates

Essential Date Vocabulary in Farsi

Farsi	Pronunciation	English
امروزemruz		Today
دیروزdiruz		Yesterday
فرداfardā		Tomorrow
هفتهhafté		Week
ماهmāh		Month / Moon
سالsāl		Year
روزruz		Day
تاریخtārikh		Date / History
امروز چندمه؟emruz chandome?		What is today’s date?
امروز چه روزیه؟emruz che ruzi-ye?		What day is today?
تولدت کِیه؟tavalladat key-ye?		When is your birthday?
نوروز مبارکnowruz mobārak		Happy Nowruz

Talking About Dates in Farsi — Practical Sentences

📅 Everyday date sentences

امروز چندم فروردینه؟ What date in Farvardin is today?

تولدم سوم اردیبهشته. My birthday is the third of Ordibehesht.

الان تابستونه. It’s summer now.

پاییز فصل مورد علاقه‌ام‌ه. Autumn is my favourite season.

جمعه تعطیله. Friday is a holiday.

هفته‌ی دیگه دوشنبه میام. I’m coming next Monday.

نوروز امسال چه روزیه؟ What day is Nowruz this year?

شب یلدا آخر آذره. Yalda Night is at the end of Āzar.

How the Persian Calendar Works — Quick Guide

Why the Persian year starts in spring

The Persian new year begins at the exact astronomical moment of the spring equinox — not on an arbitrary fixed date. This makes Nowruz (نوروز) one of the most astronomically precise new year celebrations in the world. In 2026, Nowruz 1405 fell on 20 March at 18:16 Tehran time. This precision is one reason the Persian calendar is considered more accurate than the Gregorian calendar over long periods.

Solar Hijri — what the name means

The Iranian calendar is officially called the Solar Hijri calendar (تقویم هجری شمسی — taqvim-e hejri-ye shamsi). “Hijri” refers to the Islamic migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE — year 1 of the Hijri calendar. “Shamsi” means solar (from شمس — shams = sun). So the calendar is solar-based but counts from the Islamic Hijra. This is why the Persian year 1404 does not correspond to 1404 CE — it counts from 622 CE.

Persian year vs Gregorian year

To roughly convert from the Persian year to Gregorian: add 621 or 622 (depending on time of year). Persian year 1404 = Gregorian 2025–2026. Persian year 1405 = Gregorian 2026–2027. For exact date conversion, use the Persian date converter above.

Leap years in the Persian calendar

The Persian calendar has a sophisticated leap year system — 8 leap years in every 33-year cycle, giving it extraordinary accuracy. The leap year adds a day to Esfand (the final month), making it 30 days instead of 29. Persian leap years do not follow a simple every-4-years rule like the Gregorian calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 12 months of the Persian calendar?

The 12 months of the Persian (Solar Hijri) calendar are: Farvardin, Ordibehesht, Khordad, Tir, Mordad, Shahrivar, Mehr, Ābān, Āzar, Dey, Bahman, and Esfand. The year begins with Farvardin at the spring equinox (around 20–21 March) and ends with Esfand.

What day of the week starts the Persian week?

The Persian week starts on Saturday (شنبه — shanbeh). The days go: Shanbeh (Saturday), Yekshanbeh (Sunday), Doshanbeh (Monday), Seshanbeh (Tuesday), Chahārshanbeh (Wednesday), Panjshanbeh (Thursday), and Jom’eh (Friday). Friday is the day of rest in Iran — not Sunday.

How does the Iranian calendar year compare to 2026?

The Persian year 1405 corresponds to Gregorian 2026–2027. The Persian year begins at the spring equinox — so Nowruz 1405 was on 20 March 2026, and the year 1405 runs through to 19 March 2027. To convert roughly: Persian year + 621 or 622 = approximate Gregorian year.

What does Nowruz mean and when is it?

Nowruz (نوروز) literally means “New Day” — نو (now) = new, روز (ruz) = day. It is the Persian New Year, celebrated at the exact moment of the spring equinox — usually 20 or 21 March each year. In 2026, Nowruz 1405 fell on 20 March. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years and is now recognised by the United Nations.

How do you say the months of the year in Farsi?

The Persian months in Farsi are: فروردین (Farvardin), اردیبهشت (Ordibehesht), خرداد (Khordad), تیر (Tir), مرداد (Mordad), شهریور (Shahrivar), مهر (Mehr), آبان (Ābān), آذر (Āzar), دی (Dey), بهمن (Bahman), اسفند (Esfand).

What is Shab-e Yalda?

Shab-e Yalda (شب یلدا) — Yalda Night — is the longest night of the year, falling on the last night of Āzar (21 or 22 December). Iranian families gather to read Hafez, eat pomegranates and watermelon (symbols of life and health through the winter), and stay awake together. It is one of the oldest celebrations in Persian culture, predating Islam, and is still widely celebrated by Iranians worldwide.

Use the Persian calendar in real conversations

Knowing the months and days is vocabulary. Using them naturally — planning, storytelling, celebrating with your family — is what Farsi lessons make possible. Danaa School’s native tutors connect culture and language in every session.

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