It commemorates the moment, in the final year of the Prophet Muhammad's life, when he appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor—a declaration that, for Shia communities, established Ali as the first Imam.
Each year, on the anniversary of this historic and spiritually momentous event, Iranians across the country come together to celebrate Ghadir in vibrant public ceremonies. Millions participate in these festivities, held in cities and towns throughout Iran.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the remarkable statistics surrounding this nationwide celebration:
The Longest Amusement Park in the World
Stretching over an astonishing 13 kilometers, this unprecedented amusement park has been specially designed for children, featuring a wide range of mobile play equipment. Installed along the very routes normally traversed by city buses, the park unfolds as a continuous, vibrant strip of joy, transforming an ordinary urban thoroughfare into the longest playground on Earth.
A Stunning Statistic: Free Meals Outpace Global Fast Food Giants
In Iran, during major public celebrations, citizens collectively prepare and distribute over 40 million hot meals. To put that into perspective, McDonald's, with its 41,800 branches worldwide, sells only about 6.5 million hamburgers globally per day.
That means Iranians serve nearly seven times more meals to each other — not for profit, but out of generosity — than McDonald’s sells worldwide.
The sheer volume of food distributed during these gatherings in Tehran alone surpasses the combined global daily sales of major fast-food chains like KFC (12 million meals), Starbucks (14 million customers), Subway, and others.
One Million Children Join Tehran’s Free Mega Amusement Park
An astonishing one million children take part in the free amusement park set up during Tehran’s grand public celebration. To grasp the scale, the number of children attending this single event exceeds the entire population of major global cities such as San Francisco (USA), Washington D.C. (USA), Lyon (France), Liverpool (UK), and Porto (Portugal).
This isn’t just a carnival — it’s a city-sized celebration of joy, generosity, and childhood, all made possible without tickets or corporate sponsors.
A Nation United: The People Behind the Celebration
Iran proudly describes this monumental celebration as people-powered. Organized and executed entirely by volunteers, the event is a testament to the strength of religious conviction and communal spirit. These individuals, driven solely by their beliefs, come together on the day of Ghadir to serve — without pay, without titles.
Estimates place the number of volunteers and grassroots organizers between 80,000 to 100,000 people — a figure that exceeds the active military forces of countries such as Australia, Argentina, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and most nations around the world.
A Celebration That Stretches 500 Kilometers Across Iran
Held simultaneously in a linear format across multiple cities, Iran’s nationwide Ghadir celebration spans an estimated 500 kilometers in total length. From city to city, this sprawling festivity forms a continuous line of joy, faith, and public participation.
To grasp its scale: the combined stretch of this celebration is longer than the entire width of countries such as Denmark (452 km), Norway (430 km), Chile (175 km), Switzerland (350 km), Austria (300 km), and Croatia (300 km).
Three Million Free Ice Creams—Courtesy of Iranian Dairy Companies
In a stunning display of corporate-community partnership, three million ice creams are distributed to the public during the Ghadir celebrations — and that’s just in Tehran, not counting the 31 other cities across Iran hosting their own unique festivities.
This remarkable figure surpasses the combined daily sales of some of the world’s most recognized ice cream giants:
Blue Bell Creameries – 700,000 per day
Amorino – 500,000 per day
Graeter’s – 100,000 per day
And many more.
This year, on June 14, the Ghadir celebration is expected to be held on a scale larger than ever before.
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