Cultural Traditions

By: Mahmoud Rahimi

Cultural Seminar held in Pishva, reminiscent of uprising of people

VARAMIN, May 31 (MNA) – A two-day gathering of activists of Cultural Front of the Islamic Revolution was held in Mosalla of Pishva city on May 30-31 in the presence of university lecturers and eyewitnesses of historic event of uprising of people in Pishva, Varamin.
2020-05-31 20:00
By: Zahra Mirzafajouyan

'Sizdah Be-dar', celebration to bid farewell to Nowruz

TEHRAN, Apr. 01 (MNA) – An Iranian National Nature Day, locally known as ‘Sizdah Be-dar’, is held on the 13th day of Farvardin (the first month of the Iranian calendar) to bid farewell to Nowruz holidays.
2020-04-01 11:24
Persian New Year in Tajikistan

TEHRAN, Mar. 31 (MNA) –Nowruz- observed by many countries along the Silk Roads, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan- is a ceremony dating back to at least the 6th century BCE, marking the new year and an announcement for spring.
2020-03-31 17:48
By: Hamid Vakili

People preparing for Yalda night

TEHRAN, Dec. 21 (MNA) – Iranians are preparing for Yalda Night, known also as the Chelleh Night. Yalda is one of the most celebrated traditional events in Iran, which marks the longest night of the year (Dec. 21), that is, in the night of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice. It is a time when friends and family members get together to eat and read poem until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts, particularly pomegranates and watermelons, are significant for Yalda parties.
2019-12-21 14:39
By: Marjohn Sheikhi

Yalda Night, or how Iranians celebrate the winter solstice

TEHRAN, Dec. 21 (MNA) – Yalda Night (or Shab-e Yalda; also, Shab-e Chelleh) is an ancient Persian festival, which basically celebrates the coming of the winter solstice: the longest and darkest night of the year.
2019-12-21 13:11
By: Mohammadreza Abbasi

Intl. Children’s Day marked in Iran

TEHRAN, Oct. 09 (MNA) – Concurrent with the International Children’s Day, a special program was held at Artistic-Cultural Creations Center of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) on Tue. in the presence of Fazel Nazari the head of the Institute.
2019-10-09 10:16
VIDEO: annual ‘Shovel Turning’ festivity held in Nimvar

MAHALLAT, Apr. 20 (MNA) – Keeping their thousands-year-old traditions alive, the local people and farmers of Nimvar, near Mahallat in central Iran, gather every year in late winter and early spring to perform ‘Shovel Turning’ ceremony to cherish the gift of precipitation and thank Anahita, the ancient goddess of water. Turning the shovel symbolizes the joint effort and empathy among the people living in a community.
2019-04-20 10:07
By: Behnam Yousefi

Farmers perform ‘Shovel Turning’ to cherish precipitation

MAHALLAT, Apr. 20 (MNA) – Every year in late winter and early spring, the local people and farmers of Nimvar, near Mahallat in central Iran, perform the thousands-year-old ‘Shovel Turning’ ceremony to cherish the gift of precipitation and thank Anahita, the ancient goddess of water. Turning the shovel symbolizes the joint effort and empathy among the people living together in a community.
2019-04-20 09:38
By: Arian Nasrollahi

Kurdish Dance Festival in Baneh

BANEH, Apr. 17 (MNA) – The 3rd edition of Kurdish Dance Festival was held in the western border town of Baneh, Kurdistan Province, during which different dance groups from various Kurdish-populated areas in Iran displayed their traditional dancing skills on Tuesday.
2019-04-17 09:11
Iranians celebrate Nature's Day to bid farewell to Nowruz

TEHRAN, Apr. 02 (MNA) – Iranians are celebrating the National Nature Day today by picnicking and spending time outdoors with their families to bid farewell to the Iranian New Year’s holidays.
2019-04-02 16:42
By: Faezeh Kaboli

'Nowruz Khani' tradition in Golestan

GORGAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) – On the last Wed. of the year, people of 'Balajadeh' village in Kordkouy city in Golestan province, take part in the ‘Nowruz Khani’ ritual, in which they go from house to house, while singing lines of poetry in praise of Spring, the new year and the nature. It is customary for the householders to give them gifts or to offer them sweets.
2019-03-15 11:30
By: Mohammad Khodabakhsh

New Year shopping in Tajrish Bazaar

TEHRAN, Mar. 13 (MNA) – With the Persian New Year fast approaching, which falls on March 21 this year, shopping malls are abuzz with people doing the traditional New Year shopping. The Tajrish old bazaar continues to be a favorite spot for this tradition, located along the northern edge of the capital.
2019-03-13 09:34
By: Maryam Kamyab

Persian silk brocade

BANDAR ABBAS, Jan. 22 (MNA) – Silk brocade is the main traditional clothing of women in the southern Iranian provinces of Hormozgan and Bushehr. Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and with or without gold and silver threads.
2019-01-22 09:57
VIDEO: Pottenstein's spectacular festival of light and fire

TEHRAN, Jan. 07 (MNA) – A thousand mountainside fires encircled the German town of Pottenstein on Sunday, creating a Lord of the Rings-like scene. At least 10,000 people attended the fire festival, which occurs every year on January 6th.
2019-01-07 16:58
By: Reza Zanganeh

‘Korsi’ festival in Hamedan

TEHRAN, Jan. 07 (MNA) – Festival of ‘Korsi’, Iran's historical low table equipped with heater, was held Sun. in Hamam-e Qal'eh Museum of Anthropology, in Hamedan province. The ceremony marks an old Iranian tradition during winter nights, and will go through January 12.
2019-01-07 09:56
Moscow to host 'Iranian Theater' festival

TEHRAN, Dec. 22 (MNA) – Moscow is set to host a festival commemorating ‘Iranian Theater' in spring in a bid to make Russians more familiar with Iranian culture.
2018-12-22 15:39
By: Hamid Heydari

Harvesting watermelon for Yalda Night

HASHTBANDI, Dec. 19 (MNA) – Few days remaining to winter, Hashtbandi farmers in Hormozgan province are harvesting watermelon for the Yalda Night. Yalda is an Iranian festival celebrated on the longest and darkest night of the year (Dec. 21). Families gather and enjoy spending the night together. Watermelon, the red color of which symbolizes the glow of life, is traditionally decorated and eaten on this night.
2018-12-19 15:47
By: Shahab Ghayoumi

Iranians preparing for Yalda Night

TEHRAN, Dec. 16 (MNA) – Iranians are preparing for Yalda Night, known also as the Chelleh Night. Yalda is one of the most celebrated traditional events in Iran, which marks the longest night of the year (Dec. 21), that is, in the night of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice. It is a time when friends and family members get together to eat and read poem until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts, particularly pomegranates and watermelons, are significant for Yalda parties.
2018-12-16 16:50
Pars Tourism Exhibition in Shiraz

TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) – The 10th edition of Pars Tourism Exhibition kicked off in Shiraz, Fars province, on Wednesday in attendance of the head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Ali Asghar Mounesan. The four-day event is turning the spotlight on Iran's potentials in medical and health tourism, religious and air traveling, hotels and eco-lodges, marine and air sports, online booking, free trade zones, recreational activities and handicrafts.
2018-12-13 11:48
By: Amin Berenjkar

84,000kg 'nazri' Persian Ash stewed in Shiraz

SHIRAZ, Nov. 07 (MNA) – Concurrent with the passing anniversary of Islam's Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), 84,000kg 'nazri' Ash (a Persian cuisine) was stewed in Shiraz to be distributed for free among the poor and other people wishing to be served a dish which is considered holy for anyone who eats it or makes it.
2018-11-07 14:59
Wedding ceremony in Khorsan Razavi’s Kalat

KALAT, Jun. 17 (MNA) – Pictures vividly depict a traditional wedding ceremony held at Kalat. Located in northeastern Khorasan Razavi province and Hezar Masjed Ranges, Kalat is home to the Khorshid Palace, built by the Afsharid dynasty (1736-1796). The city has some 8,000 citizens according to 2016 nationwide census.
2018-06-17 14:55
By: Marjohn Sheikhi

Everything you need to know about Persian New Year ‘Nowruz’

TEHRAN, Mar. 20 (MNA) – Another Persian New Year is upon us; Here is a brief introduction on how Iranians celebrate their New Year, called 'Nowruz'.
2018-03-20 12:12
By: Marjohn Sheikhi

What remains of Chaharshanbe Suri, eve of last Wed. before Nowruz

TEHRAN, Mar. 13 (MNA) – ‘Chaharshanbe Suri’, observed on the eve of the last Wed. before Iranian New Year, is a ‘festival of fire’ from ancient times, which is now barely recognizable from its original from in the hustle and bustle of metropolis Tehran.
2018-03-13 10:26
By: Marjohn Sheikhi

What we talk about when we talk about Yalda Night

TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) – While people from many countries across the world are currently getting ready for Christmas, people in Iran are looking forward to another kind of festivity: Yalda Night.
2017-12-20 22:06
By: Raheleh Hesari

Gorgan hosts 11th festival of ethnic cultures

TEHRAN, Sep. 08 (MNA) – The eleventh edition of the festival of Ethnic Cultures is underway in the Iranian northeastern city of Gorgan, Golestan province.
2017-09-08 15:45
By: Mobin Paymankar

6th Intl. Festival of Traditional Games in Marivan

MARIVAN, Sep. 07 (MNA) – The sixth edition of International Festival of Traditional and Local Games was held on Thu. with participation of Iranian and foreign teams from Georgia, Azerbaijan Republic and Iraq near Lake Zarivar in Marivan, Kurdistan Province of western Iran.
2017-09-07 17:58
By: Asghar Besharati

Nowruz-e Sayyad day in Qeshm

QESHM, Jul. 26 (MNA) – Annually on July 19 in Selakh rural district of Qeshm Island, fishermen celebrate Nowruz-e Sayyad day, meaning the Fisher’s New Year, which is one of the oldest Iranian traditions.
2017-07-26 12:35