The Zoroastrian religious calendar

The religious calendar is a matter of some controversy among Zoroastrians. There are currently three main calendars in use: Fasli, Shahanshahi, and Qadimi. The oldest Zoroastrian calendar ('Old Avestan') was evidently a seasonal one, but it is not clear how it was kept in harmony with the seasons. In later years ('Younger Avesta' and Sasanian times) the prescribed method was to add a month every 120 years, but none of the three modern calendars follow this tradition. Cf. Denkard 3, chapter 419 and Bundahishn chapter 25.

• FASLI ('seasonal'): A religious calendar which is kept in harmony with the seasons by intercalculating one day every four years, patterned after the Gregorian calendar. Naw Ruz (New Year's Day) is fixed on March 21.
• SHAHANSHAHI (or Shenshai): The calendar of many Parsee Zoroastrians, including some of the more influential Dasturs (High Priests). It is based on a religious calendar which was theoretically synchronized with the seasons by intercalculating a month every 120 years, but the intercalculation was not consistently followed. Naw Ruz was observed on August 23, 1995. A recent proposal would reform the Shahanshahi calendar by bringing it back into harmony through the intercalculation of whole months.
• QADIMI ('ancient'): In 1746 a group of priests and laymen in Surat adopted the Irani calendar on the assumption that it represented an older tradition. The Qadimi calendar is one month ahead of the Shahanshahi.

Each month and each day of the religious calendar is presided over by a spiritual being; special prayers (from the Khorda Avesta) are observed in honor of that spiritual being. Days where the same spiritual being presides over both month and day (marked with * in the table below) are particularly sacred.

See also Adarbad Mahraspandan's advice on activities for each day of the month.

Names of the days and corresponding dates of observance per Fasli calculations:

	Mah (Month)
Roz (day)	Mihr	Aban	Adar	Day	Vohuman	Spandarmad
Ohrmazd	Sep17	Oct17	Nov16	Dec16 *	Jan15	Feb14
Vohuman	Sep18	Oct18	Nov17	Dec17	Jan16 *	Feb15
Ardwahisht	Sep19	Oct19	Nov18	Dec18	Jan17	Feb16
Shahrewar	Sep20	Oct20	Nov19	Dec19	Jan18	Feb17
Spandarmad	Sep21	Oct21	Nov20	Dec20	Jan19	Feb18 *
Hordad	Sep22	Oct22	Nov21	Dec21	Jan20	Feb19
Amurdad	Sep23	Oct23	Nov22	Dec22	Jan21	Feb20
.
Day-pa-Adar	Sep24	Oct24	Nov23	Dec23 *	Jan22	Feb21
Adar	Sep25	Oct25	Nov24 *	Dec24	Jan23	Feb22
Aban	Sep26	Oct26 *	Nov25	Dec25	Jan24 s	Feb23
Khwarshed	Sep27	Oct27	Nov26	Dec26	Jan25	Feb24
Mah	Sep28	Oct28	Nov27	Dec27	Jan26	Feb25
Tir/Tishtar	Sep29	Oct29	Nov28	Dec28	Jan27	Feb26
Goshorun	Sep30	Oct30	Nov29	Dec29	Jan28	Feb27
.
Day-pa-Mihr	Oct1	Oct31	Nov30	Dec30 *	Jan29	Feb28
Mihr	Oct2 *	Nov1	Dec1	Dec31 g	Jan30	Mar1
Srosh	Oct3	Nov2	Dec2	Jan1	Jan31	Mar2
Rashnu	Oct4	Nov3	Dec3	Jan2	Feb1	Mar3
Frawardin	Oct5	Nov4	Dec4	Jan3	Feb2	Mar4
Warharan	Oct6	Nov5	Dec5	Jan4	Feb3	Mar5
Ram	Oct7	Nov6	Dec6	Jan5	Feb4	Mar6
Wad, Gowad	Oct8	Nov7	Dec7	Jan6	Feb5	Mar7
.
Day-pa-Den	Oct9	Nov8	Dec8	Jan7 *	Feb6	Mar8
Den	Oct10	Nov9	Dec9	Jan8	Feb7	Mar9
Ard	Oct11	Nov10	Dec10	Jan9	Feb8	Mar10
Ashtad	Oct12 g	Nov11	Dec11	Jan10	Feb9	Mar11
Asman	Oct13	Nov12	Dec12	Jan11	Feb10	Mar12
Zam	Oct14	Nov13	Dec13	Jan12	Feb11	Mar13
Mahraspand	Oct15	Nov14	Dec14	Jan13	Feb12	Mar14
Anagran	Oct16 r	Nov15	Dec15	Jan14	Feb13	Mar15

Legend:

* = Name day feasts
r = Rapithwina begins Mar 23 ends Oct 16
s = Festival of Sadeh (Jashan-e Sadeh)
g = Gahambars ('feasts'):

                                            1992-5       1996-9       2005-8
   Maidyozarem ('mid-spring' feast):     F: Apr30-May4   Apr30-May4   Apr30-May4
                                         S: Oct2-6       Oct1-5       Sep29-Oct3
                                         Q: Sep2-6       Sep1-5       Aug30-Sep3

   Maidyoshahem ('mid-summer' feast):    F: Jun29-Jul3   Jun29-Jul3   Jun29-Jul3
                                         S: Dec1-5       Nov30-Dec4   Nov28-Dec2
                                         Q: Nov1-5       Oct31-Nov4   Oct29-Nov2

   Paitishahem (feast of 'bringing in    F: Sep12-16     Sep12-16     Sep12-16
      the harvest'):                     S: Feb15-19     Feb14-18     Feb11-15
                                         Q: Jan16-20     Jan15-19     Jan12-16

   Ayathrem ('bringing home the herds'): F: Oct12-16     Oct12-16     Oct12-16
                                         S: Mar15-19     Mar14-18     Mar13-17
                                         Q: Feb15-19     Feb14-18     Feb11-15

   Maidyarem ('mid-year'/winter feast):  F: Dec31-Jan4   Dec31-Jan4   Dec31-Jan4
                                         S: Jun4-8       Jun3-7       Jun1-5
                                         Q: May5-9       May4-8       May2-6

   Hamaspathmaidyem ('coming of the      F: Mar16-20     Mar16-20     Mar16-20
      whole group [of farohars]',        S: Aug18-22     Aug17-21     Aug15-19
      feast of All Souls):               Q: Jul19-23     Jul18-22     Jul16-20
         - Ahunawad
         - Ushtawad
         - Spentomad
         - Wohukhshathra
         - Wahishtoisht
      (Parsi Mukhtad adds 5 days to beginning)

   Noruz ('New Year's Day')              F: Mar21        Mar21        Mar21
                                         S: Aug23        Aug22        Aug20
                                         Q: Jul24        Jul23        Jul21

Watches (gahs) of the day:

Many prayers are altered according to the time of day.

• Hawan (sunrise to noon)
• Rapithwin or Second Hawan (noon to 3 p.m.)
• Uzerin (3 p.m. to sunset)
• Aiwisruthrem (sunset to midnight)
• Ushahin (midnight to sunrise)

Important festivals

• Gahambars
• Maidyozarem ('mid-spring' feast)
• Maidyoshahem ('mid-summer' feast)
• Paitishahem (feast of 'bringing in the harvest')
• Ayathrem ('bringing home the herds')
• Maidyarem ('mid-year'/winter feast)
• Hamaspathmaidyem (feast of 'All Souls')
• Noruz (New Years)
• Jashan-e Mihragan
• Jashan-e Tiragan
• Jashan-e Sadeh

Significance of the names

The first seven days celebrate Ahura Mazda and the Amesha Spentas, (lit. Beneficent Immortals) sometimes called the Archangels. They are the highest spiritual beings created by Ahura Mazda.

1. Ohrmazd (Av. Ahura Mazda)	The Lord of Wisdom, Zarathushtra's name for God
2. Vohuman (Av. Vohu Mano)	Good Mind or Purpose. Presides over animals.
3. Ardwahisht (Av. Asha Vahishta)	Highest Asha. Presides over fire.
4. Shahrewar (Av. Khshathra Vairya)	'Desirable Dominion'. Presides over metals.
5. Spandarmad (Av. Spenta Armaiti)	Holy (or Beneficent) Devotion. Presides over the Earth.
6. Hordad (Av. Haurvatat)	Wholeness (Perfection or Health). Presides over the waters.
7. Amurdad (Av. Ameretat)	Immortality or Life. Presides over plants.

The second week celebrates LIGHT and NATURE:

8. Day-pa-Adar (Av. Dadvah)	The Creator's day before Adar.
9. Adar (Av. Atar)	Fire
10. Aban (Av. Aban)	Waters
11. Khwarshed (Av. Hvar Khshaeta)	The Shining Sun
12. Mah (Av. Mah)	The Moon
13. Tishtar (Av. Tishtrya)	The Star Sirius, brightest star in the heavens
14. Gosh (Av. Geush)	Sentient Life or the Ox-Soul

The third week celebrates moral qualities:

15. Day-pa-Mihr (Av. Dadvah)	The day of the Creator before Mithra
16. Mihr (Av. Mithra)	Yazad of the Contract
17. Srosh (Av. Sraosha)	Yazad of 'Hearkening', i.e. paying attention
18. Rashnu (Av. Rashnu)	Yazad of Truth
19. Farwardin (Av. Fravashis)	The Guardian Angels
20. Warharan (Av. Verethraghna)	Victory, Triumph over evil
21. Ram (Av. Raman)	Peace, Joy
22. Gowad (Av. Vata)	Wind, atmosphere

The fourth week celebrates religious ideas:

23. Day-pa-Den (Av. Dadvah)	The day of the Creator before Den
24. Den (Av. Daena)	Religion, also Inner Self or Conscience
25. Ashi (Av. Ashi)	Blessings or Rewards
26. Ashtad (Av. Arshtat)	Rectitude, Justice
27. Asman (Av. Asman)	Sky
28. Zam (Av. Zam)	Earth
29. Mahraspand (Av. Mathra Spenta)	Holy Word (Manthra), also specific sections of scripture with certain poetic and spiritual properties
30. Anagran (Av. Anaghra Raocha)	Endless Light

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