Customs and Traditions

Washtub; Ancient Musical Instrument Popular among Women in Northern Iran

The flat washtub is one of the simplest things that could be found in almost every house in Iran’s northern Mazandaran province. However, Iranian women in that region have long been using it as a musical instrument in wedding ceremonies and parties.

Tehran’s Milad Tower Hosting Ramadan Festival

A festival called “The City of God” is underway in Tehran’s Milad Tower Cultural Complex during the holy month of Ramadan.

Iran, Land of Diverse Ramadan Traditions

Special ancient traditions are still practiced in a number of Iranian cities during the holy month of Ramadan in addition to the common rituals and customs practiced nationwide.

Ancient Iranians Used Stone Lions to Guard Their Graves

The city of Aligoudarz in Lorestan Province is home to an ancient cemetery where stone lion busts are used as tombstones.

Local Games Festival Held in Iran’s Gilan Province

Gilan province in northern Iran recently hosted a festival of local games, which brought the villagers and tourists a great deal of joy and excitement.

Strawberry Festival; Rural Party to Celebrate Good Harvest

The sixth edition of the Strawberry Festival was recently held in Golestan province in northeastern Iran, giving the farmers and their families an opportunity to celebrate their spring harvest and pray for a more fruitful year.

Iran Lets Women Civil Servants Wear Local Costumes at Work

Authorities have given the thumbs up to local traditional clothes being used by women in government institution in Hormozgan province, southern Iran.

Iranian Customs in Photos: Football Match in Rice Farms

Before the season of planting rice in Gilan Province, northern Iran, people hold football matches in muddy farms to prepare for a new agricultural season.

Razif; A Traditional Sword Dance in Southern Iran

Razif is a traditional ceremony in southern Iran which used to be performed by seafarers in the past for relaxation after many days of hard work in the sea, but today is only performed at weddings and other happy events.

Iranian Nomads’ Lifestyle Amazing: Italian Photographer

An Italian photographer, whose photos of nomadic lifestyle in Iran were recently put on a comparative display along with those taken from Italian nomads, has talked about how different and fascinating Iranian nomads are. 

Dispel Bad Luck by Wearing Rings with Sharaf-e Shams Engraving

Sharaf-e Shams is the name given to a special type of engraving on a ring stone, which is believed to banish sorrow, depression, bad luck, and negativity. Some others say you will never be in dire situations when wearing the ring stone on which Sharaf-e Shams is engraved.

Iran to Host Multinational “Letter to My Child” Festival

Iran is to hold the first international festival of “Letter to My Child” with a focus on the future of the children and youths of the countries that celebrate the Persian New Year or Nowruz.

Baleh-Boran; Traditional Pre-Wedding Ritual in Iran

Baleh-Boran is a Persian ceremony which takes place shortly after the formal proposal, publicly announcing the couple's intention to form a union. The ceremony is widely popular across Iran, particularly among Qashqai nomads.

Nowruz in Northern Iran Sweetened with Homemade Pastry, Halva

People in Ardeh village of Rezvanshahr County, northern Iran, annually cook Zarrineh, a traditional type of pastry indigenous to Gilan Province, and a special variation of halva to celebrate the arrival of spring and the Persian New Year.

Iran’s Hamadan Scene of Deep-Rooted New Year Rituals

At the end of the cold season, people in the Hamadan Province gather together to conduct traditional rituals to usher in the promise of spring and the new Iranian year,Nowruz.

Marmeh, First Spring Ritual in Northern Iran

Marmeh or Madermeh, one of the most important rituals in Iran’s northern province of Mazandaran, is a old tradition that dates back to hundreds of years ago.

‘Nowruz Khani’ Ritual Heralds Advent of Persian New Year

Every year, a few days before the beginning of the New Persian Year, traditional singers known as Nowruz Khans herald the arrival of spring in the villages of northern Iran by singing and playing their instruments.

Footsteps of Spring Heard in Western Iran

People in Kanduleh village in Kermanshah province, Western Iran, annually attend a traditional ceremony called “Sound of Spring’s Footstep” ahead of the Persian New Year or Nowruz.

Iran’s Bojnourd Hosts Festival of Local Games

A festival of local and traditional games of Iran’s North Khorasan Province was recently held in the north-eastern city of Bojnourd.

Pre-Nowruz Rituals; What All Iranians Do before New Year

Spring has almost arrived, and Iranians are preparing themselves for and counting down to the Persian New Year, when they will celebrate the traditional Nowruz festival.

Sound of Folklore Music at Tehran Metro Stations ahead of Nowruz

A few days before the beginning of the Persian New Year (Nowruz), the municipality of Tehran has organised live music performances for the citizens in several subway stations across the capital.

Tehran Hosts Exhibition of Rural, Nomadic Lifestyles

The third exhibition of “Achievements and Capabilities of Iranian Villagers and Nomads” was recently held in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Spoon-Banging; Persian Ancestor of Trick-or-Treating

An integral part of the ancient Persian festival Charshanbe Suri (Fireworks Wednesday) is a spoon-banging ritual, which seems to be an ancestor of the trick-or-treating in modern Halloween celebrations.

“More Efforts Needed to Introduce Nowruz to Younger Generations”

A senior culture heritage official has called for greater efforts to raise awareness among Iranian youth about the Persian New Year festival Nowruz, an ancient tradition that has become the symbol of Iranian culture.

4 Killed, 1,800 Injured in “Fireworks Wednesday” Incidents

Firecracker-related incidents left 4 people dead and over 1,799 others injured in Chaharshanbe Soori, a fire festival held on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar year, the head of Iran’s Center for Emergency Medical Services said.

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