section_path: Culture/Observances
section_name: Observances
paragraph_text: Observances
  
  Iran's official New Year begins with Nowruz, an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated annually on the vernal equinox and described as the Persian New Year. It was registered on the UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009. On the eve of the last Wednesday of the preceding year, as a prelude to Nowruz, the ancient festival of بārڑanbe Suri celebrates Ātar ("fire") by performing rituals such as jumping over bonfires and lighting fireworks.
  
  Yaldā, another ancient tradition, commemorates the ancient goddess Mithra and marks the longest night of the year on the eve of the winter solstice (usually on 20 or 21 December), during which families gather to recite poetry and eat fruits. In some regions of Mazanderan and Markazi, there is a midsummer festival, Tirgān, which is observed on Tir 13 (2 or 3 July) as a celebration of water.
  
  Islamic annual events such as Ramezān, Eid e Fetr, and Ruz e Āڑurā are marked by the country's population, Christian traditions such as Noel, elle ye Ruze, and Eid e Pāk are observed by the Christian communities, Jewish traditions such as Hanukā and Eid e Fatir (Pesah) are observed by the Jewish communities, and Zoroastrian traditions such as Sade and Mehrgān are observed by the Zoroastrians.