Festipath

Sizdah Bedar

سیزده‌بدر

Sizdah Be-dar (سیزده‌بدر, sīzdæh bedar) is an Iranian festival on the thirteenth day of Farvardin, in early April. Spent outdoors, it marks the end of the Nowruz holiday period.

Decorative still-life of a tied bundle of sprouted green wheat grass
Decorative still-life. Generated by AI. Not a photograph of the rite.

What happens

The day is spent outdoors. From the morning onwards, families picnic in parks, gardens and countryside, making this one of the most visible practices for a traveller to encounter.

A characteristic custom is the disposal of the sabzeh (سبزه), the sprouted greens grown for the Haft-Seen display of Nowruz. Instead of keeping it or discarding it at home, people throw the sabzeh into moving water. Young unmarried people tie knots in the stems before returning the greens to the water.

Because the whole country is outdoors on the same day, public green spaces are heavily crowded, and roads out of cities are busy.

Why it matters

Sizdah Be-dar matters as the closing movement of the Nowruz period: on the thirteenth day of the year, the new-year observance is carried out of the house and into open ground. Returning the sabzeh grown for the Haft-Seen to moving water ends the household display by giving it away rather than simply putting it aside. The knots tied in the stems by unmarried people carry wishes, linking the act of leaving the house with hope for what is to come. It is not inscribed on any UNESCO list.

When it happens

Caution

These dates are approximate: either the timing varies from year to year, or the rule behind them is not fully confirmed. Confirm this year’s dates locally before you travel.

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Before you go

Sizdah Bedar — visiting etiquette

Never

  • Do not photograph military or government installations. Photography near them is strictly prohibited and foreign nationals have been detained and charged.
  • Do not drink alcohol in public. There are no exceptions.

Photography

Photography near military and other government installations is strictly prohibited in Iran, and foreign nationals have been detained and charged under national security laws. These are Iranian laws that apply everywhere in public, not customs of this festival. They are recorded here because the observance happens outdoors, where they bind a visitor. Away from those sites, ask people before photographing them.

Dress

In public places women must cover their heads with a headscarf and wear trousers or a floor-length skirt with a long-sleeved tunic or coat reaching mid-thigh or knee; men should wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts. These are Iranian laws that apply everywhere in public, not customs of this festival. They are recorded here because the observance happens outdoors, where they bind a visitor.

Where it happens

Only the surrounding area is published for this location.

  • Iran

    General area only

  • Tehran & Alborz

    General area only

  • Isfahan & Yazd

    General area only

  • Shiraz & Fars

    General area only

Sources

Short code

ir-a1b33

A short, stable identifier for this entry, printed on cards and quotable anywhere.