People, customs and rituals

When it comes to hospitality, kindness and generosity, Iranian people rank at the top of the list. As people with rich culture, Iranians are among the friendliest in the world. They are very polite and respectful to each other. Persians are also romantic people who spend more time reading the words of their national poets like Ferdowsi and Hafez.

They are generally intimate and affable, nationalistic, family-loving and committed to national and religious traditions. The various religious and cultural rituals in Iran reflect the country’s diverse historical influences. Nowruz is one of the greatest Iranian festivals that marks the arrival of spring and the Persian New Year. It was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Moreover, in 2010, UN General Assembly proclaimed 21 March International Nowruz Day. Other than it, there are a variety of annual religious and cultural festivals in Iran worth traveling to the country for.

The most important of these festivals and rituals are as follows:

Chaharshanbe Suri: A festival celebrated on the eve of the last Tuesday before Nowruz, during which people jump over a trail of bonfires and the youngsters make a lot of noise with firecrackers.

Sizdeh bedar: Iranians celebrate the 13th and final day of Nowruz with a bang on sizdeh bedar. Parks become flooded with families playing games, grilling kebabs, and, of course, drinking bottomless glasses of tea. Yalda night (Cheleh night): Yalda night is a beautiful ancient ritual during which Iranians celebrate the longest night of the year. This night is on 20 to 21 December according to the Georgian calendar.

Moharram rituals: As an Islamic country, Muharram is considered one of the most sacred months in Iran and also among the other Muslims worldwide. Many different religious ceremonies are held during this month, especially during the first ten days of this month. The annual rituals start on the first day of Muharram and reach their peak on the tenth day, known as Ashura. The day marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and 72 of his loyal companions, who were martyred in the battle of Karbala against the second Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, in 680 AD. Ramadan fasting: Iranian people, alongside the Muslims around the world, mark the holy month of Ramadan by fasting.