Iran National Day

Iran National Day

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  1. 1906Constitutional Revolution creates a parliament in Iran
  2. 1979Islamic Revolution triumphs as monarchy collapses
  3. 1980Iran-Iraq War begins and reshapes the republic

The story behind the day

11 February marks the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the Pahlavi monarchy collapsed and the Islamic Republic emerged. In Iran it is celebrated as the victory of the revolution and the founding moment of the current state.

The day became the official national revolutionary holiday because it defines the political order that followed: clerical leadership, republican institutions, anti-monarchical memory and a strong language of independence from foreign influence. It remains politically charged inside and outside Iran.

Today the anniversary is marked with state-organised rallies, flags, speeches, revolutionary songs and public displays, especially in Tehran. Visitors see a formal political celebration rather than a casual street festival, with Azadi Square as a key symbolic space.

Across Iranian families, the day sits beside a much older cultural calendar where Nowruz is the great shared celebration. Food, poetry, tea, sweets and family hospitality remain essential to understanding Iranian identity beyond state ceremony.

  1. 202611 February 2026 · Wednesday
  2. 202711 February 2027 · Thursday
  3. 202811 February 2028 · Friday
The Iranian flag
Iran flag

The Iranian flag has green, white and red horizontal bands with the red emblem of the Islamic Republic in the centre and stylised Kufic script along the borders. Green is associated with Islam and growth, white with peace, and red with courage and martyrdom.

Iranian celebration food is fragrant and refined, built around rice, herbs, saffron, stews, grilled meats, yoghurt, tea and sweets shared with guests.

What to eat

Chelo kebabSlow-cooked pomegranate and walnut stew with duck or chicken — one of the world's great sauce traditions, from the Caspian coast.
Ghormeh sabziHerb-heavy Persian frittata with fenugreek, dried barberries and walnuts — eaten at Nowruz and national celebrations.
FesenjanLamb shank on saffron rice with dried barberries (zereshk) — Iran's most beloved presentation of the pilaf tradition.
TahdigAsh-e reshteh lentil and herb noodle soup — eaten at Persian New Year as a symbol of good fortune.
Ash reshtehLamb or chicken skewers marinated in saffron and lemon, grilled over charcoal — the most popular Iranian street dish.
Sholeh zardLamb slow-cooked in a clay pot with tomato, potato and spices — a thick Persian stew served in its cooking vessel.

What to drink

Persian teaCold yoghurt drink diluted with water and flavoured with dried mint and salt — Iran's most widely consumed refreshment.
DooghBlack tea brewed very strong and served with a sugar cube held in the cheek — the Iranian social ritual, consumed hourly.
SharbatSour cherry syrup diluted with cold water — a bright red Iranian summer drink from the country's famous morello cherry orchards.
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Iran culture

Iran is the heir to the Persian Empire — one of the world's oldest civilisations — with a literary tradition of Hafez and Rumi, Persepolis ruins and a carpetmaking art unmatched in the world.

Azadi SquarePersepolis — the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, a UNESCO site of columns, bas-reliefs and imperial grandeur near Shiraz.
Nowruz traditionNowruz — Persian New Year on the spring equinox, celebrated by 300 million people across Central Asia; the most ancient living calendar festival.
Hafez and poetryPersian carpet weaving — UNESCO-listed; Iranian carpets from Tabriz, Isfahan and Kashan are among the world's most valuable handmade objects.
Persian carpetsHafez and Rumi — Iran's poet-philosophers whose words are cited daily in ordinary conversation; the Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz is a pilgrimage site.