Cultural calendar
Persian Calendar 2026 (Solar Hijri 1404–1405)
The Solar Hijri calendar is the official calendar of Iran and Afghanistan. It's astronomically tied to the vernal equinox, making it one of the most accurate solar calendars in use today.
2026 Solar Hijri months
| Month # | Persian name | Gregorian span | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Dey 1404 | Dec 22, 2025 – Jan 20, 2026 | 30 |
| 11 | Bahman 1404 | Jan 21 – Feb 19, 2026 | 30 |
| 12 | Esfand 1404 | Feb 20 – Mar 20, 2026 | 29 |
| 1 | Farvardin 1405 | Mar 21 – Apr 20, 2026 Nowruz starts | 31 |
| 2 | Ordibehesht 1405 | Apr 21 – May 21, 2026 | 31 |
| 3 | Khordad 1405 | May 22 – Jun 21, 2026 | 31 |
| 4 | Tir 1405 | Jun 22 – Jul 22, 2026 | 31 |
| 5 | Mordad 1405 | Jul 23 – Aug 22, 2026 | 31 |
| 6 | Shahrivar 1405 | Aug 23 – Sep 22, 2026 | 31 |
| 7 | Mehr 1405 | Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026 | 30 |
| 8 | Aban 1405 | Oct 23 – Nov 21, 2026 | 30 |
| 9 | Azar 1405 | Nov 22 – Dec 21, 2026 | 30 |
Major Persian holidays in 2026
- Nowruz (Persian New Year) — March 21, 2026 (at the exact moment of vernal equinox). 1405 AP begins.
- Sizdah Bedar — April 2, 2026 (13th day of Farvardin). Nature day, traditionally spent outdoors.
- Tirgan — July 4, 2026 (13th of Tir). Ancient festival celebrating Tishtrya, the rain-bringing star.
- Mehregan — October 2, 2026 (16th of Mehr). Festival of autumn and friendship.
- Yalda (Shab-e Yalda) — December 21, 2026 (winter solstice). Longest night of the year — family gatherings, pomegranates, poetry.
- Chaharshanbe Suri — March 17, 2026 (last Tuesday eve before Nowruz). Fire-jumping festival.
Why Solar Hijri is astronomically precise
Unlike the Gregorian calendar (which uses fixed rules to approximate the solar year), the Solar Hijri year is defined by the actual moment of vernal equinox at the meridian of Tehran. This makes it one of the most accurate calendars in use — its error against the tropical year is roughly one day per 110,000 years.
The year 1405 AP begins on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When is Nowruz 2026?
Saturday, March 21, 2026 — at the moment of the vernal equinox, which Iran observes officially at 12:15 PM Tehran time.
Why does Iran use a different calendar?
The Solar Hijri calendar has been Iran's official civil calendar since 1925, replacing the lunar Islamic calendar for civil purposes. It's based on the same Hijri epoch (Muhammad's migration in 622 CE) but counted in solar years.
Is the Afghan calendar the same?
Afghanistan also uses the Solar Hijri calendar, but with traditional Arabic names for some months instead of the Persian names used in Iran. Year numbering matches.