Sizdah Bedar

Time in the outdoors

Families pack food and head into fields, river valleys, and public parks to spend the entire day outside. The celebration marks a transition back to everyday routines after nearly two weeks of seasonal festivities. Gathering under the open sky offers a chance to welcome warmer weather, share communal meals, and enjoy games. Communities living abroad often organize these outdoor picnics on nearby weekend dates. People bring along household ornaments and festive decorations from the prior weeks, preparing to complete the rituals that formally conclude the spring holiday period.

Ancient links to rain

Historical references connect this custom to ancient Iranian beliefs surrounding rain and agriculture. In the traditional calendar, the thirteenth day belonged to Tishtariah or Tir, an angel associated with rainfall and divine generosity. According to early accounts, ancient farmers traveled into open plains and waterways to ask this rain deity to triumph over the demon of drought. Dancing, rejoicing, and singing accompanied these requests for moisture to nourish newly planted crops. While specific written mentions appear mainly from the Qajar era onward, earlier epic works also note this particular calendar date.

Greens and lighthearted jokes

A central ritual involves the sprouted lentils or wheat, known as sabzeh, which decorated the household table during the new year. Picnickers tie knots in the green blades while making personal wishes, especially unmarried individuals seeking romance or marriage. At the conclusion of the outing, people cast these sprouts into moving streams or rivers to carry away misfortune. The day also features playful deception known as the Lie of the Thirteenth. Similar to April Fools pranks, these humorous tricks have amused communities across the region since the era of the Achaemenid Empire.

Dishes and refreshing drinks

Picnickers enjoy customary refreshments suited for open-air dining. A staple offering is sekanjabin, a traditional beverage blended from vinegar, honey, and occasionally mint. People dip crisp lettuce leaves directly into this sweet and sour syrup, a practice thought to foster physical health in the months ahead. Another widespread dish is ash-e doogh, a thick yogurt soup hailing from Ardabil and the northwestern Azeri areas. This warm, savory soup is shared widely across Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, serving as a comforting meal during spring outings.

How Sizdah Bedar is kept

People head out in the morning with picnic baskets, carpets, and sprouted greens to find space in parks, fields, or riverbanks. Groups spend the afternoon eating, socializing, and playing lighthearted practical jokes. Before heading home, attendees tie knots in the stems of their sprouted greens while silently making wishes. Finally, they cast the sprouts into moving water so the current carries away ill fortune, officially ending the seasonal holiday cycle.

When and where

The holiday falls on 2 April in standard years, aligning with Farvardin 13 on the Iranian solar calendar. While people in Iran celebrate on this exact date, diaspora communities often host their gatherings on the closest weekend.

Celebrations occur in open public parks, countryside plains, and along rivers across Iran. Persian communities also gather in outdoor spaces across countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Netherlands.

What Sizdah Bedar means

Leaving the house represents shedding ominous influences tied to the number thirteen and welcoming natural blessings. Casting sprouted greens into running water symbolises renewal and releasing negativity, while knotting green blades embodies hope for romance, health, and favorable circumstances in the coming year.

On the table

• Sekanjabin
• Lettuce with sekanjabin
• Ash-e doogh

Flavours: Mint

Days Sizdah Bedar is marked

Sizdah Bedar dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Sizdah Bedar

See also

NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsYaldā NightA solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaChaharshanbe SuriAn Iranian festival of fire and renewal celebrated on the eve of the final Wednesday before spring.HıdırellezA spring festival marking the meeting of two prophets, celebrated across Turkey and the Balkans.

Good reading and sources

• Sizdah Be-dar on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.