View source for Zoroastrian calendar

{{Short description|Religious date system}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
<!--for English spellings used in this article refer to  Kotwal, F.M. & Boyd, J. (1982). ''A Guide to the Zoroastrian Religion''[http://www.avesta.org/zwords.html a list based on the recommended use of Kotwal & Boyd (1982)].
This article (as every other article on English Wikipedia) uses [[Gregorian calendar]] dates from 15&nbsp;October 1582 onward, and the [[proleptic Julian calendar|Julian calendar]] for earlier dates.-->
{{Zoroastrianism sidebar}}
Adherents of [[Zoroastrianism]] use three distinct versions of '''traditional calendars''' for [[Zoroastrian festivals|liturgical purposes]]. Those all derive from [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[Iranian calendars]] and ultimately are based on the [[Babylonian calendar]] as used in the [[Achaemenid Empire]]. ''Qadimi'' ("ancient") is a traditional reckoning introduced in 1006. ''Shahanshahi'' ("imperial") is a calendar reconstructed from the 10th century text ''[[Denkard]]''. ''Fasli'' is a term for a 1906 adaptation of the 11th century [[Jalali calendar]] following a proposal by [[Kharshedji Rustomji Cama]] made in the 1860s.

A number of [[Calendar era]]s are in use:
*A tradition of counting years from the [[Date of Zoroaster|birth of Zoroaster]] was reported from India in the 19th century. There was a dispute between factions variously preferring an era of 389 BCE, 538 BCE, or 637 BCE.<ref>
<!--"A fierce controversy is still going on amongst the Parsees of Bombay respecting the era of Zoroaster, Zardusht, or Zartosht, one party maintaining that bis true epoch was B.C. 389, which has been adopted by Cowasjee Sorabjee, in his comparative chronology (now publishing under the patronage of the Bombay Government), who argues that a higher antiquity is irreconcilable with the fact, that Zoroaster was contemporary with Carms Hystaspes. On the other hand, the Editor of the Jami-Jamshed, and the learned Nowrojee Furdoonjee, contend for the earlier date of B.C. 637."-->
Allen's Indian Mail, and Register of Intelligence for British and Foreign India, China, and All Parts of the East, vol. 9 (1851), [https://books.google.com/books?id=4BgYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA303  p. 303].
The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits Settlements, Malay States, Sian, Netherlands India, Borneo, the Philippines, &c, (1882), [https://books.google.com/books?id=0K9EAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA37  p. 37].</ref>
*The "Yazdegerdi era" (also ''Yazdegirdi'' or ''Yazdgerdi'') counts from the accession of the last Sassanid ruler, [[Yazdegerd III]] (16 June 632 CE). This convention was proposed by Cama in the 1860s but has since also been used in conjunctions with Qadimi or Shahanshahi reckoning.<ref>[[Stephen Meredyth Edwardes]], ''Kharshedji Rustamji Cama, 1831-1909: A Memoir'' (1923), 151f.
An abbreviation  "AY" ("Anno Yazdegirdi"?) is used in Parsiana 26 (2003), p. 1.
A supposed abbreviation "Y.Z." is unknown in literature, but was introduced to [[Wikipedia]] {{Diff|en:Zoroastrian_calendar|diff=|oldid=37269001|label=in 2006}}).<!-- by [[User:Fullstop]], apparently based on the use of "Y." in a website listed at the time, https://web.archive.org/web/20051028122943/http://gilbreth.ecn.purdue.edu/~bulsara/ZOROASTRIAN/calendar.html
but no explanation for the "Z." was given, and use of "Y.Z." found on the web today is probably derived from this edit.--></ref> An alternative "Magian era" (''era Magorum'' or ''Tarikh al-majus'') was set at the date of Yazdegerd's death in 652.<ref>Carol A Bromberg, Bulletin of the Asia Institute 17, Wayne State University Press (2003), p. 20.</ref>
*"Z.E.R." or "Zarathushtrian Religious Era" is a convention introduced in 1990 by the Zarathushtrian Assembly of California set at the vernal equinox ([[Nowruz]]) of 1738 BCE (&minus;1737 in the [[astronomical year numbering]]).

==History==
===Achaemenid period===
{{see also|Cappadocian calendar|Iranian calendars}}

Calendrical traditions in ancient Iran can be traced back to the 2nd millennium B.C. Yet the earliest fully preserved calendar actually dates only from the [[Achaemenid Empire]] period, starting in the sixth century BC.

The Old Persian calendar, similar to the [[Babylonian calendar]], was [[lunisolar]], with twelve months of thirty days each. The Old Persian inscriptions mention only eight month names, so the other four names have been reconstructed from the Elamite transcriptions.<ref>Panaino, Antonio. ''Calendars'', in ''Encyclopaedia Iranica'', Vol.&nbsp;IV, Fasc.&nbsp;6–7, pp.&nbsp;658–677 ([http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calendars iranicaonline.org])</ref>

The Achaemenids used the lunisolar calendar at least until 459 B.C., because this is the date of the last preserved document using such a calendar.<ref>Panaino, Antonio. ''Calendars'', in ''Encyclopaedia Iranica'', Vol.&nbsp;IV, Fasc.&nbsp;6–7, pp.&nbsp;658–677 ([http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calendars iranicaonline.org])</ref>

The Babylonian calendar, being lunisolar, used an [[intercalary month]] roughly once every third year.<ref name="TSZ"/><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Biruni |first1=Muhammad ibn Ahmad |url=http://archive.org/details/chronologyofanci00biru |title=The chronology of ancient nations; an english version of the Arabic text of the Athâr-ul-Bâkiya of Albîrûnî, or "Vestiges of the past" |last2=Sachau |first2=Eduard |date=1879 |publisher=London, Pub. for the Oriental translation fund of Great Britain & Ireland by W.H. Allen and co. |others=Wellesley College Library}}</ref><ref name="ZACV">Boyce, Mary (on behalf of the Persian Heritage Foundation). (1992). ''Zoroastrianism – Its Antiquity and Constant Vigour'', p.&nbsp;108. Mazda Publishers.</ref><ref name="CAW">Bickerman, E.J. (1968). ''Chronology of the Ancient World'', p.&nbsp;24. Thames & Hudson.</ref><ref>Panaino, Antonio. ''Calendars'', in ''Encyclopaedia Iranica'', Vol.&nbsp;IV, Fasc.&nbsp;6–7, pp.&nbsp;658–677 ([http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calendars iranicaonline.org])</ref>

It is not clear exactly when the Zoroastrian calendar was first introduced. Nevertheless, because of its similarities with the Egyptian calendrical system, it can be hypothesized that its introduction was in the 5th century BCE, in the period during which Egypt was ruled by the Achaemenids. According to S. Stern, this happened during the first century of Achaemenid rule over Egypt, or from 525 to 430 BCE.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IU2Fu11RCvwC&pg=PA178|last=Stern|first=Sacha|title=Calendars in Antiquity: Empires, States, and Societies|location=Oxford|date=2012|page=178|isbn=978-0-19-958944-9|access-date=3 November 2015}}</ref>

Scholars distinguish between the Old Avestan and a Later Avestan calendars. However, given that both have been reconstructed on the basis of similar sources, there are some disputes in this area.

The earliest Zoroastrian calendar follows the Babylonian in relating the seventh and other days of the month to [[Ahura Mazda]].<ref name="TSZ">Boyce, Mary [ed. & trans.] (1984). ''Textual Sources for the Study of Zoroastrianism'', pp.&nbsp;19–20. University of Chicago Press.</ref>

In the civil calendar, intercalations did not always follow a regular pattern, but during the reign of [[Artaxerxes II]] (circa 380&nbsp;BCE) astronomers utilised a 19-year cycle which required the addition of a month called Addaru II in years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14 and 19, and the month Ululu&nbsp;II in year&nbsp;17 of the cycle.<ref name="CAW"/>

A 365-day calendar, with months largely identical to the [[Egyptian calendar]], was introduced shortly after the conquest of Egypt by the Achaemenid ruler Cambyses (''c.'' 525&nbsp;BCE).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IU2Fu11RCvwC&pg=PA178|last=Stern|first=Sacha|title=Calendars in Antiquity: Empires, States, and Societies|location=Oxford|date=2012|page=178|isbn=978-0-19-958944-9|access-date=3 November 2015}}</ref>

Scholars are divided on whether this 365&nbsp;day calendar was in fact preceded by a 360-day calendar of Zoroastrian observances.<ref name="FZCal">Boyce, Mary. (2005). Further on the Calendar of Zoroastrian Feasts. ''Iran'' (Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies), XLIII, pp.&nbsp;1–38</ref>

===Hellenistic period===
Following Alexander's invasion of Persia in 330&nbsp;BCE, the Seleucid  (312–248&nbsp;BCE) instituted the Hellenic practice of counting years from the start of a fixed [[Calendar era|era]], as opposed using [[regnal years]].

The regnal era of Alexander is now referred to as the [[Seleucid era]].

The [[Parthia]]ns (150–224&nbsp;CE), who succeeded the Seleucids, continued the Seleucid/Hellenic tradition.<ref name="OnZCal">Boyce, Mary. (1970). On the Calendar of Zoroastrian Feasts. ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies'', Vol.&nbsp;33, No.&nbsp;3, pp.&nbsp;513–539. University of London and online at https://www.jstor.org/stable/614520 and http://www.essenes.net/pdf/On%20the%20Calendar%20of%20Zoroastrian%20Feasts%20.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420131458/http://www.essenes.net/pdf/On%20the%20Calendar%20of%20Zoroastrian%20Feasts%20.pdf |date=20 April 2012 }}</ref>

===Parthian to Sassanid period===
In 224&nbsp;CE, when the Babylonian calendar was replaced by the Zoroastrian,{{clarify|date=May 2018}} 1&nbsp;Frawardin and the New Year celebration of Nawruz had drifted to 1&nbsp;October. The older custom of counting [[regnal years]] from the monarch's coronation was reinstated.<ref name="TSZ"/><ref name="CAW"/><ref name="OnZCal"/> At this point the calendar was realigned with the seasons by delaying the ''[[Intercalation (timekeeping)|epagomenal days]]'' by eight months (so that they now preceded the start of the ninth month) and adjusting the dates of the ''[[gahanbars]]'' (farming festivals) accordingly.

This caused confusion, since the new year now fell five days earlier than before, and some people continued to observe the old date. After 46&nbsp;years (226–272&nbsp;CE), with 1&nbsp;Frawardin now on 19&nbsp;September, another [[calendar reform]] was implemented by Ardashir's grandson [[Hormizd I|Hormazd I]] (272–273&nbsp;CE). During the first years after implementation of the new Gatha days, the population had not universally adopted the new dates for religious festivals, resulting in "official" celebrations takings place five days earlier than popular celebrations. In later years the population had observed the Gatha days, but the original five&nbsp;day discrepancy persisted. Hormazd's reform was to link the popular and official observance dates to form continual six-day feasts. Nawruz was an exception: the first and the sixth days of the month were celebrated as different occasions. ''Lesser Nawruz'' was observed on 1&nbsp;Frawardin. 6&nbsp;Frawardin became ''Greater Nawruz'', a day of special festivity. Around the 10th&nbsp;century CE, the ''Greater Nawruz'' was associated with the return of the legendary king, Jamsed; in contemporary practice it is kept as the symbolic observance of Zoroaster's birthday, or [[Khordad Sal]].<ref name="OnZCal"/><ref>Stausberg, Michael. ''Zoroastrian festivals'', http://www.michaelstausberg.net/Texts/Zoroastrian%20Festivals.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117162543/http://www.michaelstausberg.net/Texts/Zoroastrian%20Festivals.pdf |date=17 January 2012 }} – accessed 17 October 2011.</ref><ref>''Khordad Sal (Birthday of Zoroaster)'' in BBC database of religious observances, last updated 2 October 2009, http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/zoroastrian/holydays/khordadsal.shtml – accessed 17 October 2011.</ref>

[[Mary Boyce]] has argued that sometime between 399&nbsp;CE and 518&nbsp;CE the six-day festivals were compressed to five days. The major feasts, or [[gahambars]], of contemporary Zoroastrian practice, are still kept as five-day observances today.<ref name="OnZCal"/><ref name="RZ">Stausberg, Michael. ''Die Religion Zarathushtras. Geschichte – Gegenwart – Rituale. Band (Volume) 3.'' [[Kohlhammer Verlag]], 2004, pp.&nbsp;66–67.</ref><ref name="FdB">{{Cite journal |last=de Blois |first=François |date=1996 |title=The Persian Calendar |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4299943 |journal=Iran |volume=34 |pages=39–54 |doi=10.2307/4299943 |jstor=4299943 |issn=0578-6967|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Medieval period===
{{see|Jalali calendar}}
The ''[[Bundahishn]]'', a pseudo-Avestan treatise written in the early Islamic period (8th or 9th century)
replaces the "Age of Alexander" with an "Ageo of Zoroaster", placed "258 years before Alexander"  (consistent with the date given by [[Ammianus Marcellinus]]).<ref>Shahbazi, A. Shapur (1977), "The 'Traditional Date of Zoroaster' Explained", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 40 (1): 25–35, doi:10.1017/S0041977X00040386</ref>

By the reign of [[Yazdegerd III|Yazdegird III]] (632–651&nbsp;CE), the religious celebrations were again somewhat adrift with respect to their proper seasons. The calendar had continued to slip against the Julian calendar since the previous reform at the rate of one day every four years. Therefore, in 632, the new year was celebrated on 16&nbsp;June.<ref name="Parise">Parise, Frank. ''The Book of Calendars'', 2nd&nbsp;Edition. Gorgias Press, 2002, pp.&nbsp;96, 108–109, and 115–117.</ref> By the 9th century, the Zoroastrian theologian Zadspram had noted that the state of affairs was less than optimal, and estimated that at the time of Final Judgement the two systems would be out of sync by four years.<ref name="RZ"/>

==Calendar eras==
Zoroastrian Yazdegerd Era (Yazdegardi Era) starts on 16&nbsp;June 632&nbsp;CE. Yazdegird&nbsp;III was the last monarch of the [[Sassanid Empire|Sasanian dynasty]], and since the custom at that time was to count [[regnal year]]s since the monarch ascended the throne, the reckoning of years was continued, in the absence of a Zoroastrian monarch, among some Zoroastrians.<ref>[https://www.zcserv.com/ Zoroastrian Calendar.] - zcserv.com</ref>

Zoroastrian dates are distinguished by the suffix Y.Z. for "Yazdegirdi Era".<ref>[https://www.zcserv.com/ Zoroastrian Calendar.] - zcserv.com</ref> The usage "AY" is also found.<ref name=linkrot>''ZCS'' website – Zoroastrian Calendar Services. https://www.zcserv.com/ – accessed 17 October 2011.
Eduljee, K.E.. ''Zoroastrian Heritage: Zoroastrian Calendar.'' https://heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/calendar/index.htm 2007–2011 – accessed 16 October 2011.
Pithavala, Behram D.. ''True Zoroastrian Year: An invitation to think.'' 9 March 1963. https://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/pdf/pithavala.pdf – accessed 17 October 2011.</ref>

Yet another form of reckoning is the Zarathushtrian (Zoroastrian) Religious Era (Z.E.R./ZRE), adopted in 1990&nbsp;CE by the Zarathushtrian Assembly of California. This is based on the putative association of the mission of Zoroaster with the dawn of the astrological [[Age of Aries]], calculated for this purpose to have been the [[March equinox|northern vernal equinox]] of 1738&nbsp;BCE. Hence the year 3738&nbsp;ZRE began in 2000&nbsp;CE. The Zoroastrian community, both in Iran and in diaspora, have also been said to have accepted it, the former doing so in 1993&nbsp;CE. A briefing paper from [[the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe]] indicates that they recognise this usage to have been pragmatically adopted by Zoroastrians in Iran, while the diaspora continues to use the YZ system.<ref>Jafarey, Ali Akbar, ''The Precise Iranian Calendar made simple'', http://www.zoroastrian.org/articles/The%20Precise%20Iranian%20Calendar.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930233107/http://www.zoroastrian.org/articles/The%20Precise%20Iranian%20Calendar.htm |date=30 September 2011 }} – accessed 17 October 2011.</ref><ref name="ZTFE">''Zoroastrian Festivals celebrated by Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe Incorporated'', a briefing paper by the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}{{year needed|date=May 2018}}</ref>

== Qadimi calendar ==
The Qadimi (also ''Qadmi, Kadimi, Kudmi'') or "ancient" calendar is the traditional calendar in use since 1006&nbsp;CE.<ref>[https://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/calendar/index.htm Zoroastrian Calendar.] - heritageinstitute.com</ref><ref name="rooz">Jafarey, Ali Akbar. ''No-Rooz, The Zarathushtrian New Year'' https://www.iranchamber.com/culture/articles/norooz_zarathushtrian_new_year.php – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

In 1006&nbsp;CE, the month Frawardin had returned to the correct position so that 1&nbsp;Frawardin coincided with the northern vernal equinox. The religious festivals were therefore returned to their traditional months, with Nawruz once again being celebrated on 1&nbsp;Frawardin.<ref name="OnZCal"/>

The [[Julian date|Julian Day Number]] corresponding to 16&nbsp;June 632&nbsp;CE is 1952063.<ref>Calculator at https://www.imcce.fr/en/grandpublic/temps/jour_julien.php</ref>

The Julian Day Number of Nowruz, the first day, of Year ''Y'' of the Yazdegirdi Era is therefore 1952063&nbsp;+&nbsp;(''Y''&nbsp;&minus;&nbsp;1)&nbsp;×&nbsp;365.

22 July AD 2000 was Nowruz and the first day of 1370&nbsp;Y.Z. (or 3738&nbsp;ZRE) according to the Qadimi reckoning.<ref name="Parise"/>

In the Julian year 1300&nbsp;CE, 669&nbsp;Y.Z. began on 1&nbsp;January, and 670&nbsp;Y.Z. on 31&nbsp;December of the same year.<ref name="Parise"/>

== Shahanshahi calendar ==
{{Distinguish|text=the [[Pahlavi Iran]]ian ''Shahanshahi calendar'', which is the [[Solar Hijri calendar#Earlier epoch?|Solar Hijri calendar as used between 1976 and 1979]]}}

The Shahanshahi calendar (also ''Shahenshahi, Shahenshai, Shenshai'') or "imperial" calendar
is the system described in ''[[Denkard]]'', a 9th-century Zoroastrian text.
It explicitly acknowledged several methods of intercalation:<ref name="D419">''The Denkard'', Book&nbsp;III, Paragraph&nbsp;419, online at https://www.avesta.org/denkard/dk3s414.html#chap419</ref>
* a leap-day every 4&nbsp;years;
* adding ten days every 40&nbsp;years;
* a leap-month of 30&nbsp;days once every 120&nbsp;years;
* 5&nbsp;months once every 600&nbsp;years;
1,461&nbsp;Zoroastrian years equal 1,460&nbsp;Julian years.

The Denkard then states:<ref name="D419"/>
:The time of six&nbsp;hours should be kept apart from (i.e. not to be added to) the last days of the year for many years, till (the hours) amount to (a definite period of time) ... And it is the admonition of the good faith that the rectification (of the calendar) should not be made till a month is completed (i.e. till the additional six hours every year amount to a month at the end of a hundred and twenty. years). And more than a period of five&nbsp;months should not be allowed (to accumulate.) [Parentheses appear as in original.]

''The Denkard'' – which was not Zoroastrian scripture but a religious manual – therefore favoured the solution of a leap-month once every 120&nbsp;years, with a fall-back of adding 5&nbsp;months after 600&nbsp;years if this were missed. This practice was not, however, adopted by Zoroastrians living in Islamic Persia.<ref name="OnZCal"/>

The Parsis had knowledge of ''The Denkard's'' proposal: at some point between 1125 and 1129, the Parsi-Zoroastrians of the Indian subcontinent inserted such an [[Intercalation (timekeeping)|embolismic month]], named ''Aspandarmad vahizak'' (the month of Aspandarmad but with the suffix ''vahizak''). That month would also be the last month intercalated: subsequent generations of Parsis neglected to insert a thirteenth month.

Around 1720&nbsp;CE, an Iranian Zoroastrian priest named Jamasp Peshotan Velati travelled from Iran to India. Upon his arrival, he discovered that there was a difference of a month between the Parsi calendar and his own calendar. Velati brought this discrepancy to the attention of the priests of [[Surat]], but no consensus as to which calendar was correct was reached. Around 1740&nbsp;CE, some influential priests argued that since their visitor had been from the ancient 'homeland', his version of the calendar must be correct, and their own must be wrong. On 6&nbsp;June 1745&nbsp;CE (Julian), a number of Parsis in and around [[Surat]] adopted the calendar which had continued in use in Iran, now to be identified as the Qadimi reckoning. Other Parsis continued to use the reckoning which had become traditional in India, and call their calendar ''Shahanshahi''.<ref name="Parise"/>

Arzan Lali the author of Zoroastrian Calendar Services (ZCS) website (zcserv.com) comments that "... adherents of other variants of the Zoroastrian calendar denigrate the Shenshai or Shahenshahi as 'royalist'."<ref>[https://www.zcserv.com/ Zoroastrian Calendar.] - zcserv.com</ref>

21&nbsp;August 2000&nbsp;CE was Nawruz, and the first day of 1370&nbsp;Y.Z. (or 3738&nbsp;ZRE) according to the Shahanshahi reckoning.

Because the one-off intercalation of 30&nbsp;days happened sometime before the Nawruz of 1129&nbsp;CE, we can be confident that in that Julian year, 498&nbsp;YZ began on 12&nbsp;February by the Qadimi reckoning, but 14&nbsp;March by the recently introduced Shahanshahi.<ref name="Parise"/>

The Julian Day Number of Nawruz, the first day, of all subsequent Shahanshahi years ''Y'' of the Yazdegirdi Era is therefore 1952093&nbsp;+&nbsp;(''Y''&nbsp;&minus;&nbsp;1)&nbsp;×&nbsp;365.

==  Fasli calendar ==
At the start of the 20th&nbsp;century, [[Khurshedji Cama]], a Bombay [[Parsi]], founded the "Zarthosti Fasili Sal Mandal", or Zoroastrian Seasonal-Year Society. In 1906, the society published its proposal for a Zoroastrian calendar which was synchronised with the seasons. This ''Fasli'' calendar, as it became known, was based on the [[Jalali calendar]] introduced in 1079 during the reign of the [[Great Seljuq Empire|Seljuk]] [[Malik Shah I|Malik Shah]] and which had been well received in agrarian communities.<ref name="RZ"/>

The Fasli proposal had two useful features: a leap-day once every four years, and harmony with the tropical year. The leap-day, called ''Avardad-sal-Gah'' (or in Pahlavi: ''Ruzevahizak''), would be inserted, when required, after the five existing ''Gatha'' days at the end of the year. New Year's Day would be kept on the [[March equinox|northward vernal equinox]], and if the leap-day was applied correctly, would not drift away from the spring. The ''Fasli'' society also claimed that their calendar was an accurate religious calendar, as opposed to the other two calendars, which they asserted were only political.<ref name="compend">Kadva, Rohinton Erach. ''Compendium of Fasli  Zoroastrian Calendars 1379&nbsp;AY through 1400&nbsp;AY'', compiled 7&nbsp;September 2009. https://zoroastrian.ru/files/eng/zoroastrian-calendars-1379-ay-1400-ay-fasli.pdf – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

The new calendar received little support from the Indian Zoroastrian community, since it was considered to contradict the injunctions expressed in the Denkard. In Iran, however, the ''Fasli'' calendar gained momentum following a campaign in 1930 to persuade the Iranian Zoroastrians to adopt it, under the title of the ''Bastani'' (traditional) calendar. In AD 1925, the Iranian Parliament had introduced a new [[Iranian calendars|Iranian calendar]], which (independent of the ''Fasli'' movement) incorporated both points proposed by the Fasili Society, and since the Iranian national calendar had also retained the Zoroastrian names of the months, it was not a big step to integrate the two. The ''Bastani'' calendar was duly accepted by many of the Zoroastrians. Many orthodox Iranian Zoroastrians, especially the Sharifabadis of [[Yazd]], continued to use the Qadimi, however.<ref>''The Zoroastrian Calendar''. http://www.ahuramazda.com/calendar.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425073146/http://www.ahuramazda.com/calendar.htm |date=25 April 2012 }} – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

In 1906&nbsp;CE, Nawruz of 1276&nbsp;Y.Z. fell on 15&nbsp;August for followers of the Qadimi calendar, and 14 September for those observing Shahanshahi. There was therefore a six-month gap between the Fasli and Qadimi New Year observances, and a seven-month gap to the Shahanshahi.

Since there is exactly one Fasli year for every Gregorian year, then day one of the proleptic Fasli calendar would be 21&nbsp;March (Gregorian) 631&nbsp;CE, with Year&nbsp;2 beginning on 21&nbsp;March 632&nbsp;CE. But Yazdegird III did not ascend the throne until 19&nbsp;June 632&nbsp;CE (Gregorian), leading to the curious quirk that the base date for the reckoning of years ends up in Year&nbsp;2 of the Fasli calendar.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

=== Festivals in leap years ===
The Zoroastrian year, in Qadimi and Shahanshahi observance, concludes with ten days in memory of departed souls: five ''Mukhtad'' days on the last 5&nbsp;days of the 12th&nbsp;month, and five more Mukhtad days, which are also the five-day festival of ''Hamaspathmaidyem'', on the five Gatha days. The penultimate day of the twelfth month is ''Mareshpand Jashan''.<ref name="OnZCal"/><ref name="compend"/>

In a common year (non-leap year) of the Fasli observance, Mukhtad is observed 11–20&nbsp;March, with Hamaspathmaidyem and the Gatha days 16–20&nbsp;March. Mareshpand Jashan is on 14&nbsp;March.<ref name="compend"/>

In a leap year of the Fasli observance, Mukhtad is observed 10–19&nbsp;March, with Hamaspathmaidyem and the Gatha days 15–19&nbsp;March. Mareshpand Jashan is on 13&nbsp;March. The leap day, 20&nbsp;March, called ''Avardad-sal-Gah'', is considered a duplication of ''Wahishtoisht'', the fifth Gatha day, but is not reckoned as Mukhtad or Hamaspathmaidyem.<ref name="compend"/><ref name="mw"/><ref name="HI2">Eduljee, K.E.. ''365-Day Fasli-Bastani/Gregorian Perpetual Calendar Grid.'' 2007-2011 https://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/calendar/page2.htm – accessed 16 October 2011.</ref>

=== Relationship with the Gregorian calendar ===
21&nbsp;March 2000&nbsp;CE was Nowruz and the first day of 1370&nbsp;Y.Z. (or 3738&nbsp;ZRE) according to the Fasli reckoning.

Ali Jafarey describes the Fasli calendar as<ref name="rooz"/>
:... an almost tropical calendar. It is corrected by observing the leap year.

Webster's online dictionary and various unreferenced sources state that the Fasli calendar follows the Gregorian, and it is shown strictly following the Gregorian calendar in the period AD 2009–2031 in the tables published by R. E. Kadva. The Gregorian calendar itself, however, will not keep 21 March as the date of the northern vernal equinox forever – it has a deviation of one day every 5025 years.<ref name="avesta.org">The Zoroastrian religious calendar, https://www.avesta.org/zcal.html – accessed 15 October 2011</ref><ref name="compend"/><ref name="mw">''Moonwise'' website, https://www.moonwise.co.uk/year/1375zoroastrian.htm – accessed 17 October 2011</ref><ref>Webster's Online Dictionary, http://www.websters-dictionary-online.org/definitions/Zoroastrian – accessed 17 October 2011</ref><ref name="wolf">Khoshkish, Anoush. ''Iranian Calendar'', at Wolfram Research: https://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/IranianCalendar.html – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

=== Relationship with the Iranian calendar ===
The [[Iranian calendar|civil calendar in Iran]] since 31&nbsp;March 1925&nbsp;CE has been the [[Solar Hejri]] calendar. This is strictly tied to the actual northward equinox, rather than a mathematical approximation to it. An Iranian day is reckoned to begin at midnight. Iranian time is 3.5&nbsp;hours ahead of [[GMT]]. New Year's Day is defined to be the day, as reckoned by Iranian time, when the northward equinox (the precise moment in time when northern and southern hemispheres of the Earth pass through the point of the Earth's orbit when they are equally illuminated by the Sun) occurs on or before noon ''of that day'', or during the 12&nbsp;hours following the noon ''of the preceding day''. This means that the pattern of leap years in the Iranian calendar is complex – usually following a 33-year cycle where the leap day is inserted every fourth year, but in year&nbsp;33 instead of year&nbsp;32, but with occasional 29&nbsp;year cycles.<ref>Ministry of Iran (Islamic Republic of), ''Calendar'', http://www.en.iran.ir/about/iranian-calendar {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009205044/http://www.en.iran.ir/about/iranian-calendar |date=9 October 2011 }} – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

From 1960 to 1995, the northward equinox always fell at such a time that New Year's Day in Iran occurred on the day called 21&nbsp;March in the Western calendar. But this equivalence was not always true before March 1960, and the exact correspondence broke down again in 1996. In 1959, and at four-year intervals back to 1927, Iranian New Year's Day fell on 22&nbsp;March in the Gregorian calendar. In 1996, and subsequent Gregorian leap years, Iranian New Year's Day falls on 20&nbsp;March. The pattern will shift back to a matching set of leap years in 2096&nbsp;CE.<ref>Zadeh, Hossein Bagher. ''Time of the New Year.'' SCI Usenet Newsgroup, 16 March 1994 and reposted at https://www.ghandchi.com/iranscope/Anthology/TimeOfTheNewYear.htm – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

The sources cited above state that the Fasli calendar both ''follows the Gregorian'' and was such that ''New Year's Day coincided with vernal equinox''. These two statements are incompatible. The Fasli calendar cannot track both the Gregorian leap years and strictly start on the vernal equinox; further, any calendar strictly tied to the 'day of the equinox' must define when the day starts and ends, which depends on longitude-<ref name="compend"/>

A briefing paper from the [[Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe]] indicates that
:... the Irani Zoroastrian calendar does not shift and commences on 21 March. But it is important to note that all Iranians including Zoroastrians celebrate NoRuz (Nawruz) on the actual day of the northward equinox, therefore some years it can be 20 / 22&nbsp;March.<ref name="ZTFE"/>

== Astronomical and mystical aspects ==

The three different Zoroastrian calendar-traditions are similar with regard to the principle of the beginning of the months. They are structurally similar to the [[Armenian calendar]] and the [[Haab|Mayan Haab calendar]], but different from the [[Iranian calendar|Iranian (Jalaali) calendar]], the [[Julian calendar]], and the [[French Revolutionary Calendar]], whose epochs of the months are fixed to equinoxes/solstices, as are the signs of [[western astrology]]. The Qadimi and the Shahanshahi Zoroastrian calendar use merely five epagomenal days, similar to the French Revolutionary and the [[Coptic calendar]], (although these last two have a sixth epagemonal day every leap year), so their year count slowly travels through the tropical year.<ref name="mw"/>

The naming of the months recalls the time of the origination of the Zoroastrian calendar. According to [[Mary Boyce]],<ref>Boyce, Mary. ''Festivals, i. Zoroastrian'', in ''Encyclopaedia Iranica'', http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/festivals-i – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>
:It seems a reasonable surmise that Nawruz, the holiest of them all, with deep doctrinal significance, was founded by Zoroaster himself.

== Future developments  ==
The Fasli calendar has become very popular outside India, especially in the West, but many Parsis believe that adding a leap day is against the rules, and they mostly continue to use the Shahanshahi calendar. There is a proposal to correct matters by restoring the leap month, but unless this happens, the Shahanshahi and Qadimi years will continue to start earlier and earlier ... the unrevised Qadimi calendar would eventually coincide with the Fasli calendar in Gregorian year&nbsp;2508, the Shahanshahi New Year will next fall on 21&nbsp;March in 2632.<ref name="mw"/>

In 1992, all three calendars happened to have the first day of a month on the same day. Many Zoroastrians suggested a consolidation of the calendars: no consensus could be reached, though some took this opportunity to switch to the Fasli observance. Some priests objected on the grounds that if they were to switch, the religious implements they utilised would require re-consecration, at not insignificant expense.<ref>''Zoroastrian Calendar'', http://www3.sympatico.ca/zoroastrian/cal.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805035049/http://www3.sympatico.ca/zoroastrian/cal.html |date=5 August 2011 }} – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

It has also been proposed that the Shahanshahi calendar could be brought back into harmony through the intercalation of whole months.<ref name="avesta.org"/>

In the [[UK]], most Zoroastrians are Indians who follow the Shahanshahi calendar. Nevertheless, noting that Iranian Zoroastrians mostly follow the Fasli calendar, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe marks observances of both calendars.<ref name="ZTFE"/><ref>The Shap Working Party on Education in Religions, ''Calendar of Religious Festivals: A treasury of diversity'', http://www.shapworkingparty.org.uk/calendar2.html – accessed 17 October 2011</ref>

== Naming of months and days ==

Zoroastrian practice divides time into years (sal or sol), months (mah), weeks, days (ruz, roz, or roj) and watches (gah or geh).<ref name="avesta.org"/>
A day is reckoned to begin at dawn, as attested by Chapter&nbsp;25 of the 9th&nbsp;century work, the [[Bundahishn]]; morning hours before dawn are assigned to the previous calendar day. Each day is divided into five watches:<ref name="avesta.org"/>
* Hawan(sunrise to noon)
* [[Rapithwin]] or Second Hawan (noon to 3&nbsp;p.m.)
* [[Uzerin]] (3&nbsp;p.m. to sunset)
* [[Aiwisruthrem]] (sunset to midnight)
* [[Ushahin]] (midnight to sunrise)

In medieval times, according to the Bundahishn, in winter there were only four periods, with Hawan extending from daybreak until Uziran, with the omission of Rapithwan.

The months and the days of the month in the Zoroastrian calendar are dedicated to, and named after, a divinity or divine concept. The religious importance of the calendar dedications is very significant. Not only does the calendar establish the hierarchy of the major divinities, it ensures the frequent invocation of their names since the divinities of both day and month are mentioned at every Zoroastrian act of worship.<ref name="HI2"/>

=== Day names ===
The tradition of naming the days and months after divinities was based on a similar Egyptian custom, and dates from when the calendar was set up.<ref>Boyce, Mary. (1982). ''A History of Zoroastrianism'' Vol.&nbsp;2, pp.&nbsp;243–250. E. J. Brill.</ref> "The last evidence for the use ... with Old Persian month-names ... comes from 458&nbsp;BCE, ... after which the Elamite tablets cease." No dated West-Iranian documents from this period survive, but the fact that the Zoroastrian calendar was created at this time can be inferred from its use in a number of far-flung lands which had formerly been parts of the Achaemenid Empire.

The oldest (though not dateable) testimony for the existence of the day dedications comes from ''Yasna''&nbsp;16, a section of the [[Yasna]] liturgy that is – for the most part – a veneration to the 30&nbsp;divinities with day-name dedications. The ''Siroza'' – a two-part Avesta text with individual dedications to the 30&nbsp;calendar divinities – has the same sequence.

{| cellpadding="0"
|-
|  style="width:1.5em; text-align:right; vertical-align:top;"| 1. || Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 2. Vohu Manah, 3. Aša Vahišta, 4. Khšathra Vairya, 5. Spenta Ārmaiti, 6. Haurvatāt, 7. Ameretāt
|-
|  style="width:1.5em; text-align:right; vertical-align:top;"| 8. || Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 9. Ātar, 10. Āpō, 11. Hvar, 12. Māh, 13. Tištrya, 14. Geuš Urvan
|-
|  style="width:1.5em; text-align:right; vertical-align:top;"| 15. || Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 16. Mithra, 17. Sraoša, 18. Rašnu, 19. Fravašayō, 20. Verethragna, 21. Rāman, 22. Vāta
|-
|  style="width:1.5em; text-align:right; vertical-align:top;"| 23. || Dadvah Ahura Mazdā, 24. Daēna, 25. Aši, 26. Arštāt, 27. Asmān, 28. [[Zam]], 29. Manthra Spenta, 30. Anaghra Raočā.
|}

The quaternary dedication to [[Ahura Mazda]] was perhaps a compromise between orthodox and heterodox factions, with the 8th, 15th and 23rd day of the calendar perhaps<!-- (Boyce, 1982:247) --> originally having been dedicated to [[Burz|Apam Napat]], [[Haoma]], and [[Dahman|Dahmān Afrīn]]. The dedication to the [[Ahura|Ahuric]] Apam Napat would almost certainly have been an issue for devotees of [[Anahita|Aredvi Sura Anahita]], whose shrine cult was enormously popular between the 4th&nbsp;century BCE and the 3rd&nbsp;century CE and who is (accretions included) a functional equal of Apam Napat.<!-- (Boyce, 1982:29–31,201-202) --> To this day these three divinities are considered 'extra-calendary' divinities inasfar as they are invoked together with the other 27, so making a list of 30&nbsp;discrete entities.

[[File:Faravahar neu.svg|thumb|150px|right|[[Faravahar]], believed to be a depiction of a ''[[Fravashi]]'' (guardian spirit), to which the month and day of ''Farvardin'' is dedicated]]

The 2nd through 7th&nbsp;days are dedicated to the [[Amesha Spenta]]s, the six&nbsp;'divine sparks' through whom all subsequent creation was accomplished, and who – in present-day Zoroastrianism - are the archangels.

Days&nbsp;9 through 13 are dedications to five [[yazata]]s of the litanies (''Niyayeshes''): Fire (''[[Atar]]''), Water (''[[Aban|Apo]]''), Sun (''[[Hvare-khshaeta|Hvar]]''), Moon (''[[Mah]]''), the star Sirius ([[Tishtrya|Tištrya]]) that here perhaps represents the firmament in its entirety. Day 14 is dedicated to the soul of the Ox (''[[Geush Urvan]]''), linked with and representing all animal creation.

Day&nbsp;16, leading the second half of the days of the month, is dedicated to the divinity of oath, [[Mithra]] (like Apam Napat of the [[Ahura|Ahuric]] triad). He is followed by those closest to him, [[Sarosh|Sraoša]] and [[Rashnu|Rašnu]], likewise judges of the soul; the representatives of which, the [[Fravashi]](s), come next. [[Verethragna]], Rāman, [[Vata-Vayu|Vāta]] are respectively the hypostases of victory, the breath of life, and the (other) divinity of the wind and 'space'.

The last group represent the more 'abstract' emanations: Religion (''[[Daena]]''), Recompense (''[[Ashi]]''), and Justice (''[[Arshtat]]''); Sky (''[[Asman]]'') and Earth (''[[Zam]]''); Sacred Invocation (''Manthra Spenta'') and Endless Light (''Anaghra Raocha''). <!-- (Boyce, 1982:246) -->

In present-day use, the day and month names are the [[Middle Persian]] equivalents of the divine names or the concepts, but in some cases reflect Semitic influences (for instance Tištrya appears as Tir, which Boyce (1982:31–33) asserts is derived from Nabu-*Tiri). The names of the 8th, 15th, and 23rd day of the month – reflecting Babylonian practice of dividing the month into four periods<!-- (Boyce, 1982:247) --> – can today be distinguished from one another: These three days are named ''Dae-pa Adar'', ''Dae-pa Mehr'', and ''Dae-pa Din'', Middle Persian expressions meaning 'Creator of' (respectively) Atar, Mithra, and Daena.

What might loosely be called ''weeks'' are the divisions of days&nbsp;1–7, 8–14, 15–22, and 23–30 of each month – two weeks of seven days followed by two weeks of eight. The Gatha days at the end of the year do not belong to any such week.<ref name="avesta.org"/>

=== Month names ===
Twelve divinities to whom days of the month are dedicated also have months dedicated to them. The month dedicated to Ahura Mazda is a special case – that month is named after Mazda's stock epithet, "Creator" (Avestan ''Dadvah'', whence Zoroastrian Middle Persian ''Dae''), rather than after His proper name.

Seven of the twelve month-names occur at various points in the surviving Avesta texts, but an enumeration similar to the ones for day names does not exist in scripture. Lists of month names are however known from commentaries on the Avesta texts, from various regional Zoroastrian calendars of the 3rd to 7th&nbsp;centuries, and from living usage. That these names have an Old Iranian origin and are not merely Middle Iranian innovations may be inferred from the fact that several regional variants reflect Old Iranian genitive singular forms, that is, they preserve an implicit "(month) of".

The month-names <!-- normalized Pazand/ZMP forms to side-step dialectal differences --> (with Avestan language names in parentheses), in the ordinal sequence used today, are:

{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"
|-
| valign="top" |

: 1. Farvardin<!-- Frauuardīn: note fra- not metathesic far- --> (''[[Fravashi|Frauuašinąm]]''<!-- , ''Y''. 1.11 -->)
: 2. Ardibehesht<!-- Ardwahišt --> (''[[Asha Vahishta|Ašahe Vahištahe]]''<!-- , ''A''. 3.7 -->)
: 3. Khordad<!-- Xordā&#x306;d --> (''[[Haurvatat|Haurvatātō]]'')
: 4. Tir<!-- Tīr --> (''[[Tishtrya|Tištryehe]]''<!-- , ''A''. 3.8 -->)
: 5. Amardad<!-- Amurdā&#x306;d --> (''[[Ameretat|Amərətātō]]''<!-- , ''A''. 3.7 -->)
: 6. Shehrevar<!-- Šahrewar --> (''[[Kshathra Vairya|Xšaθrahe Vairyehe]]''<!-- , ''A''. 3.9 -->)
| valign="top" |

: &nbsp;7. Mehr<!-- Mihr --> (''[[Mithra|Miθrahe]]''<!-- , ''A''. 3.10 -->)
: &nbsp;8. Aban<!-- Ava --> (''[[Aban|Apąm]]'')
: &nbsp;9. Azar<!-- Adar--> (''[[Atar|Āθrō]]'')
: 10. Dae<!-- Day --> (''Daθušō [Ahurahe Mazda&#x30A;]''<!-- , ''A''. 3.11 -->)
: 11. Bahman<!-- Bahman --> (''[[Bahman|Vaŋhə&#x304;uš Manaŋhō]]'')
: 12. Asfand ''or'' Asfandiar<!-- Asfandyar--> (''[[&#x30A;Ārmatōiš]]''<!-- , ''Vd''. 21 -->)
|}

The days on which day-name and month-name dedications intersect are festival days ([[Zoroastrian festivals#Name-day feasts|name-day feast days]]) of special worship. Because Ahura Mazda has four day-name dedications, the month dedicated to Him has four intersections (the first, eighth, fifteenth and twenty-third day of the tenth month). The others have one intersection each, for example, the nineteenth day of the first month is the day of special worship of the [[Fravashi]]s.<!-- do not add name or description here, the ambiguity is described in the next para -->

There is some evidence that suggests that in ancient practice ''Dae'' was the first month of the year, and ''Frawardin'' the last. In a 9th&nbsp;century text, Zoroaster's age at the time of his death is stated to have been 77&nbsp;years and 40&nbsp;days (''Zadspram''&nbsp;23.9), but the "40 days" do not correspond to the difference between the traditional "death day" (11th of ''Dae'') and "birthday" (6th of ''Frawardin'') unless ''Dae'' had once been the first month of the year and ''Frawardin'' the last.<!-- (24 days of Farvardin + 5 Gatha days + 11 days of Dae = 40 days). --> The festival of ''Frawardigan'' is held on the last days of the year<!-- 18-day Mukhtad among Indian Zoroastrians, 10-day Penjo (Kermani variant) among Iranian Zoroastrians -->, instead of following the name-day feast of the Fravashis (nineteenth day of the month of Frawardin, and also called ''Frawardigan'').<!-- For a discussion on the different Frawardigans, see Stausberg III, pp. 498–508 (499 on the ambiguity) and pp. 532–534 -->.

== See also ==
* [[Armenian calendar]]
* [[Iranian calendars|Iranian calendar]]
* [[Indian festivals#Parsee (Zoroastrian) holidays|Zoroastrian festivals in India]]
* [[Zoroastrianism]]
* [[Nauruz]]
* [[Bahá'í calendar]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==

=== Calendar tables ===
* [https://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/calendar/page2.htm Table mapping Fasli calendar to a Gregorian non-leap year.] During a leap year, the mapping for the last 21 days of the Fasli year must be adjusted by subtracting 1 from the March date.
* [https://www.moonwise.co.uk/year/1375zoroastrian.htm Table for 1375 YZ.] This table shows how the year 1375 YZ corresponds to Gregorian dates using the three Zoroastrian calendars, with links back to 1374, 1373 and 1372 YZ.
* [https://zoroastriansnet.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/pertetual-fasli-calendar1.pdf Perpetual Fasli calendar]
* [https://persiandna.com/calendar.htm Zoroastrian calendar of months and days]

=== Calendar calculators ===
* [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nybble.parsicalendar&pcampaignid=web_share Android app for Shenshai, Kadmi and Fasli calendar.] View the Roj, Mah, Sal, Var, Gah and Chog of the selected date and time.
* [https://www.zcserv.com/calendar/ Conversion tool for Gregorian dates from AD 1006 to AD 2400] (good for all dates 374 YZ to 1770 YZ). It can adjust for the fact that events between midnight and 6 a.m. on a Gregorian date fall on the previous Zoroastrian day. Shows month view, year view, moon phases and 'Chaugadiyas'.
* [https://www.zcserv.com/calendar/?Language=GU The facility above is also available in Gujarati.]
* [https://www.zanc.org/zcal/zcal.html A conversion tool for all three variant calendars], good for AD dates 1911–2030, also with ability to display Zoroastrian dates on a month-to-view page of the Gregorian calendar for 1911–1930.
* [https://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/calendar/page3.htm Another implementation of the zanc.org calendar above.]
* [https://parsiweb.tripod.com/ RozCalc – Zoroastrian Calendar Calculator]
* [https://sourceforge.net/projects/parsical Parsical – Zoroastrian Shahenshahi calendar application]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150122230410/http://parsicalendar.com/ Parsi calendar] (Parsi calendar)

{{Zoroastrian Calendar}}
{{calendars}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoroastrian Calendar}}
[[Category:Zoroastrian calendar| ]]
[[Category:Specific calendars]]
[[Category:Calendar eras]]