Khordadgan Festival is The Rite of Water, Prosperity, and Perfection in the Ancient Iranian Calendar.
Ancient Iran, a land with a culture spanning several millennia, has always endeavored to organize time and occasions, employing various calendars throughout its history. One of the prominent examples of these calendars dates back to the Sasanian era, when two distinct yet intertwined calendars were in use by the people and rulers. The first was called the “Movable Year” or the New Avestan calendar. In this calendar, the year was divided into twelve months of thirty days each, with each day bearing a unique name.
However, since the solar year has 360 days, five additional days were separately added at the end of the year, known in Iranian culture as “Panja,” “Khamsa-ye Mostaraqeh,” “Panja-ye Dozdideh,” or “Andargah.” Alongside this, another calendar was also used, known as the “Bahishti Calendar” or the “Fixed Year.” Its notable feature was that it was considered a leap every 120 years. Consequently, the festival of Nowruz and the start of the new year remained in their original astronomical positions, preventing excessive advancement. This precision and attention to maintaining the natural order of the year reflect the meticulousness of Iranian civilization in harmonizing with nature’s cycles.
In the ancient Iranian calendrical system, neither the months nor the days were numbered; instead, each was named after one of the Zoroastrian divinities. This feature meant that every month had a day bearing the same name as the month itself. This coincidence was an occasion for celebrations called “Monthly Festivals.” One of these ancient festivals, rooted in Zoroastrian beliefs and myths, was the grand “Khordadgan” festival.
Khordad is the third month of the year and also the name of the sixth day of each month. When the sixth day of the month of Khordad arrived, people celebrated it with special rituals. In Zoroastrian tradition, Khordad (in Avestan: Haurvatat; in Pahlavi: Khordad or Hordad) symbolizes perfection, fertility, blossoming, and the guardianship of flowing and pure waters. This deep connection with the life-giving element of water caused the Khordadgan festival to become intertwined with themes of prosperity, vitality, and protection of natural resources.
Khordad is not only one of the sacred Amesha Spentas in Zoroastrianism but also a fundamental concept in the mythological worldview of Iranians. The term “Haurvatat” in Avestan texts means “wholeness and perfection,” and the presence of this Amesha Spenta alongside “Ameretat” (immortality) in various Avesta texts highlights their importance in protecting water and plants as vital elements of life.
It is said that the birthdate of Zoroaster, the great prophet of the Iranians, also falls on this day. Part of the Yasna states that Ahura Mazda grants Khordad to those whose thoughts, words, and deeds embody truth and goodness. In the “Bundahishn,” a fundamental Pahlavi text, Khordad is described as the guardian of waters and the source of life on earth. It is also known as the lord of time, year, months, and days because all existence, birth, and nurturing are connected to water, which Khordad protects.
In Zoroastrianism, Khordad is one of the six main Amesha Spentas and symbolizes perfection, wholeness, purity, and the guardianship of waters. In the Avesta, his name appears as “Haurvatat,” and in Pahlavi as “Khordad.” Together with Ameretat, Khordad is responsible for preserving water and plants in the material world. According to Zoroastrian belief, humans must accompany Khordad on the path to perfection, as he represents fertility and life.
In Zoroaster’s Gathas, Khordad is mentioned alongside Ameretat, helping humans be freed from thirst and hunger. Thus, Khordad is not only the guardian of water resources but also a symbol of prosperity, life, and flourishing.
The Khordadgan festival arises from the coincidence of the sixth day with the month of Khordad. On this day, ancient Iranians held joyful ceremonial rites to honor water and nature. This festival was an opportunity to praise nature, purify body and soul, renew water resources, and renew their covenant with existence.
Ancient Iranians believed that by commemorating this day, they paid respect to existence and cosmic order. Zoroastrian religious texts like Yasna and Bundahishn mention that “Ahura Mazda grants the perfection of Khordad to those whose speech, thought, and actions are based on truth.“ From this perspective, the Khordadgan festival is more than a seasonal ritual; it is a form of inner and outer purification.
Multiple symbols were used in Khordadgan rites. Water, the essential element of life and a symbol of purity, was the most important. People gathered near springs, rivers, or seas, washed themselves, and prayed.
Another symbol was the lily and lotus flowers. These flowers are identified as symbols of Khordad in ancient texts. The white lily, as a symbol of “the scent of friendship“ and purity, was exchanged among people. They gave flowers to friends and acquaintances to celebrate love, bonds, and vitality.
Light and fire were also honored in fire temples. Prayers before the sacred fire and petitions for the purification of earth and water were inseparable parts of the day’s ceremonies.
Khordadgan was not only a ritual event but also a joyful and intimate gathering of ancient Iranians. On this day, families went to springs, rivers, and green plains, washed their bodies in water, and honored the presence of the Amesha Spenta Khordad with prayers, songs, and joy. Along with these joyful rites, special attention was paid to restoring qanats (underground water channels), cleaning wells, and renewing karizes (traditional irrigation canals) because water was sacred and the source of prosperity.
Religious scholars of the time mentioned the importance of Khordad Day in their writings. In the book “Farziyat-nameh,” a quote from Darab Palan, a great Zoroastrian mobad, refers to the custom of washing the body in water and the necessity of cleaning qanats and wells on this day. Also, in “Andarz Anushiravan Azarpad Mehr Aspandan,” it is explicitly stated that digging a traditional water channel on Khordad day is sacred and recommended.
A critical belief among Zoroastrians is that the birth of the prophet Zoroaster also took place on the day of Khordad. This belief has doubled the sanctity and significance of this day among the followers of Zoroastrianism and made it one of the brightest spiritual days of the year. In many Zoroastrian religious sources, the Khordadgan festival is also referred to as a “small Nowruz.”
According to the ancient tradition and the structure of the old calendar, the sixth day of the month of Khordad is recognized as the day of the Khordadgan festival. In the year 1404 of the Solar Hijri calendar, this day corresponds to the commemoration of this ancient rite. Iranians can revive this cultural heritage and renew their spiritual connection with nature, history, and the ancestors’ rituals by gathering near rivers, springs, or even the seashore and exchanging lotus and lily flowers.
The Khordadgan festival is not merely a ceremony to honor a day but reflects the lofty Iranian outlook toward water, life, purity, perfection, and connection with nature. This festival stems not only from history but also from the philosophy of Iranian life. At a time when today’s world faces environmental crises, revisiting the wise teachings of festivals like Khordadgan could be a path toward coexistence, purity, and respect for the earth.
