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Public Holidays in Iran 2026 – Islamic, National & Public Holidays

Post Date · Modified · Country · Iran

Public Holidays in Iran 2026 – Islamic, National & Public Holidays

Iran’s public holidays in 2026 include fixed national commemorations, Nowruz holidays and religious occasions based on the Islamic lunar calendar. The country’s official calendar is prepared through the Calendar Center of the Institute of Geophysics at the University of Tehran, while the government may also announce additional one-off public holidays during the year.

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Also Explore: Public Holiday in Iraq

Next Public Holiday in Iran

DateDayHolidayStatus
November 13, 2026FridayMartyrdom of FatimahConfirmed

Public Holidays in Iran 2026

DateDayHolidayStatus
January 3, 2026SaturdayBirth of Imam AliConfirmed
January 17, 2026SaturdayMab'ath of Prophet MuhammadConfirmed
February 4, 2026WednesdayBirth of Imam Mahdi – Mid-Sha'banConfirmed
February 11, 2026WednesdayAnniversary of the Islamic RevolutionConfirmed
March 1, 2026SundayNational Mourning – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
March 2, 2026MondayNational Mourning – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
March 3, 2026TuesdayNational Mourning – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
March 4, 2026WednesdayNational Mourning – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
March 5, 2026ThursdayNational Mourning – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
March 6, 2026FridayNational Mourning – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
March 7, 2026SaturdayNational Mourning – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
March 11, 2026WednesdayMartyrdom of Imam AliConfirmed
March 20, 2026FridayNationalization of the Oil IndustryConfirmed
March 21, 2026SaturdayNowruz / Eid al-FitrConfirmed
March 22, 2026SundayNowruz Holiday / Eid al-Fitr HolidayConfirmed
March 23, 2026MondayNowruz HolidayConfirmed
March 24, 2026TuesdayNowruz HolidayConfirmed
April 1, 2026WednesdayIslamic Republic DayConfirmed
April 2, 2026ThursdayNature DayConfirmed
April 14, 2026TuesdayMartyrdom of Imam Ja'far al-SadiqConfirmed
May 27, 2026WednesdayEid al-AdhaConfirmed
June 4, 2026ThursdayDemise of Imam Khomeini / Eid al-GhadirConfirmed
June 5, 2026Friday15 Khordad UprisingConfirmed
June 24, 2026WednesdayTasuaConfirmed
June 25, 2026ThursdayAshuraConfirmed
July 6, 2026MondayFuneral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – Special Public HolidayConfirmed
August 4, 2026TuesdayArbaeenConfirmed
August 12, 2026WednesdayDemise of Prophet Muhammad and Martyrdom of Imam HasanConfirmed
August 13, 2026ThursdayMartyrdom of Imam RezaConfirmed
August 21, 2026FridayMartyrdom of Imam Hasan al-AskariConfirmed
August 30, 2026SundayBirth of Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ja'far al-SadiqConfirmed
November 13, 2026FridayMartyrdom of FatimahConfirmed
December 23, 2026WednesdayBirth of Imam AliConfirmed

How Iran’s Official Holiday Calendar Is Prepared

Iran uses the Solar Hijri calendar for its national civil calendar, while a number of religious holidays are based on the Islamic Hijri lunar calendar. The Calendar Center of the Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran prepares the country’s official calendar and maps approved national and religious occasions to their corresponding Solar Hijri and Gregorian dates.

The Gregorian year 2026 spans parts of two Iranian calendar years. Dates through March 20, 2026 fall within Iranian year 1404, while March 21, 2026 begins Iranian year 1405. For that reason, the official 1404 and 1405 calendars are both relevant when verifying Iran’s complete 2026 holiday schedule.

Nowruz Holidays in Iran

Nowruz is one of the most important holiday periods in Iran. The official 1405 calendar begins on March 21, 2026, which is the first day of Farvardin and the first day of Nowruz.

Iran’s official calendar designates the first four days of Farvardin as Nowruz holidays. In 2026, these correspond to March 21 through March 24.

March 21, 2026 also coincides with Eid al-Fitr in the official Iranian calendar, while March 22 is both a Nowruz holiday and an additional Eid al-Fitr holiday. Combining occasions that fall on the same Gregorian date avoids duplicate dates in the VisaBoards holiday database.

Religious Public Holidays in Iran

Many of Iran’s official holidays commemorate important events and figures in Shia Islam. These include the birth and martyrdom anniversaries of several Imams, Mab'ath, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Ghadir, Tasua, Ashura and Arbaeen.

Because these occasions are tied to the Islamic lunar calendar, their Gregorian dates move from year to year. For VisaBoards, the dates should follow Iran’s official national calendar rather than an independently calculated lunar conversion.

Eid al-Fitr in Iran

The official Iranian calendar places Eid al-Fitr on March 21, 2026. March 22 is also designated as an Eid al-Fitr holiday. These dates overlap with the Nowruz holiday period in 2026.

Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Ghadir

Iran’s official 1405 calendar places Eid al-Adha on May 27, 2026. Eid al-Ghadir falls on June 4, the same date as the anniversary of the death of Imam Khomeini, so both occasions share one calendar date.

Tasua and Ashura

Tasua and Ashura are nationwide public holidays associated with the mourning of Imam Hussein and the events of Karbala. The official 2026 calendar places Tasua on June 24 and Ashura on June 25.

Arbaeen

Arbaeen, marking forty days after Ashura, is an official public holiday in Iran. The official national calendar places Arbaeen on August 4, 2026.

National and Revolutionary Holidays in Iran

Iran also observes several holidays connected with the country’s modern political history and national calendar.

  • Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution commemorates the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
  • Nationalization of the Oil Industry commemorates the nationalization of Iran’s oil industry.
  • Islamic Republic Day marks the establishment of the Islamic Republic following the 1979 referendum.
  • 15 Khordad Uprising commemorates the 1963 uprising associated with opposition to the government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Nature Day in Iran

Nature Day, commonly known as Sizdah Bedar, falls on the thirteenth day of Farvardin and concludes the traditional Nowruz holiday season. In 2026, Nature Day is observed on April 2 and is an official public holiday.

Special One-Off Public Holidays in Iran in 2026

Iran’s regular official calendar is not necessarily the complete record of every day off during a particular year. The government may announce additional public holidays in response to exceptional national events.

Following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February 2026, the Iranian government declared forty days of national mourning and seven official holidays beginning March 1. The resulting nationwide holiday period ran from March 1 through March 7, 2026.

The government later declared July 6, 2026 a nationwide public holiday in connection with the funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Additional closures on July 4 and July 5 applied to Tehran rather than the entire country, so those regional dates are not included in the main nationwide VisaBoards dataset.

Why Some Iran Holiday Websites Show Different Dates

International holiday websites do not always agree on Iran’s lunar religious holidays. A difference of one day can occur when a website relies on its own Islamic calendar conversion rather than Iran’s official national calendar.

For example, some third-party calendars list different 2026 dates for the martyrdom of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, Eid al-Adha, Imam Reza, Imam Hasan al-Askari and the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. For Iran, the Calendar Center of the University of Tehran should take priority because its official calendar provides the dates adopted for the country.

Are Government Offices Closed on Public Holidays in Iran?

Government institutions are generally closed on nationwide official public holidays. One-off government announcements may also suspend work nationally or in a particular province, city or sector, so the geographic scope of a special closure should be checked before treating it as a nationwide public holiday.

Regional and Temporary Closures

Not every closure announced in Iran is a nationwide public holiday. Provincial authorities may suspend offices, schools or other institutions because of weather, pollution, energy shortages, security conditions or local events.

Regional closures should not be added to the nationwide VisaBoards public holiday schedule unless an authoritative announcement establishes that the holiday applies across Iran. For example, the July 4–5, 2026 funeral-related closures applied to Tehran, while July 6 was announced nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the next public holiday in Iran?

The next public holiday changes during the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the next upcoming holiday using the current Iran public holiday database.

What is Iran’s country code?

Iran’s ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code is IR.

Who prepares Iran’s official calendar?

Iran’s official calendar is prepared through the Calendar Center of the Institute of Geophysics at the University of Tehran, with national occasions approved through the country’s official calendar process.

When is Nowruz in Iran in 2026?

Nowruz begins on March 21, 2026. The official Nowruz public holiday period covers March 21 through March 24.

Does Eid al-Fitr fall during Nowruz in 2026?

Yes. Iran’s official 1405 calendar places Eid al-Fitr on March 21, 2026, the first day of Nowruz. March 22 is both a Nowruz holiday and an Eid al-Fitr holiday.

When is Eid al-Adha in Iran in 2026?

Iran’s official national calendar places Eid al-Adha on May 27, 2026.

Are Islamic holiday dates the same every year?

No. Islamic holidays follow the Hijri lunar calendar, so their Gregorian dates move each year. Iran’s official national calendar should be used for the dates observed in the country.

Can Iran announce additional public holidays during the year?

Yes. One-off public holidays may be announced in response to exceptional national events. In 2026, additional nationwide holidays were declared during the national mourning period in March and for the July funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Are all local government closures national public holidays?

No. A closure limited to Tehran or another province or municipality is regional rather than nationwide. Only closures applying across Iran should be included in the main nationwide public holiday database.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Iran

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