Happy Tirgan— The Mid-Summer Ancient Festival of Iran
The Rain Festival
Tirgan is the fourth ancient Iranian Festival of seasons, alongside Norouz (Spring), Yalda (Winter) and Mehregan (Autumn). This year (2024) it is celebrated on Wednesday 3rd July.
Over the centuries, the significance of some of these ancient festivals has dwindled. The 10th century polymath Biruni highlighted the various ones incuding Norouz, Yalda, Tirgan, Mehregan and others such as Sadeh, the six Gahambars, Farvardigan, Bahmanja, Esfand Armaz and more. Norouz is largely considered the most important and is still celebrated throughout the world.
“It is the belief of the Iranians that Norouz marks the first day when the universe started its motion.” Biruni
The four seasonal festivals are said to have been emphasized by Zoroaster, the prophet of Iran’s ancient religion Zoroastrianism, with each having an important role.
Tirgan is the ancient Summer festival dedicated to a healthy harvest and lack of drought. It is celebrated by dancing, splashing water, the staple of reciting poetry, and consuming various traditional foods. For the young, there is a custom of tying rainbow-colored bands on wrists. These are worn for ten days and then thrown into a stream, accompanied by a wish.
Many Zoroastrians still tie this ribbon around their wrists for ten days, then toss the ribbons into a stream on the day of Tirgan.
Mythology
The celebration itself is likely to arise from Pre-Zoroastrian times, nevertheless Zoroastrians and subsequently other faiths in Iran (Muslims, Christians, Jews, Baháʼis and others) would continue celebrating this day which is linked to the deity Tishtrya, a sky archangel who heralds the coming of rain with thunder and lightning. Tishtrya is regularly locked in combat with Apaosha, the demon of drought. On the verge of loss, Tishtrya asked the Supreme God Ahura Mazda for assistance and emerged victorious, with rain pouring over the land.
Later, the mythical hero Arash the Archer was chosen to settle a land dispute between the leaders of ancient Iran (Manouchehr) and Turan (Afrasiyab), with the latter’s nation struggling due to drought. He was asked by Tishtrya to shoot an arrow from the highest peak of Iran — the volcano Mount Damavand, and where it landed would form the border of the two kingdoms. Arash put all his effort into shooting the arrow, which flew for two days and fell next to the Amu Darya River. Sadly he died as a result, but when the arrow fell, rain poured onto both countries and a long-lasting peace formed between them. The festival is therefore also in remembrance of this heroic archer.
“We honor the bright, khwarrah-endowed star Tishtrya who flies as swiftly to the Vouru-kasha sea as the supernatural arrow which the archer Erexsha, the best archer of the Iranians, shot from Mount Airyo-xshutha to Mount Xwanwant. For Ahura Mazda gave him assistance; so did the waters …” Hymn to Tishtrya
Now, water and rain is an important part of the celebration, indeed celebrating and spring or source of water is part of the custom. Splashing water on each other, or “Ab Pashi”, is part of the day.
“Merry-making by young people and children, who with a happy license… splash and duck one another in the village streams” Mary Boyce, Scholar of Iranian History
A ladies-only custom is Fal-e Koozeh, in which a girl is chosen to carry a jar which is filled with water and subsequently other small objects. This is secured under a tree until the day of Tirgan. After Ab-Pashi, the girl takes out the objects whilst elders are singing, and omens attributed to each one.
Food and Drink
Traditional foods for Tirgan include Shol-e-zard, a saffron-infused rice pudding and Aash Reshteh
Shol-e-zard is the traditional sweet desert made for Tirgan. It is made by rice cooked with water, and flavoured with saffron, rosewater, cinnamon, sugar, cardamom and butter. Usually it is decorated with pistachios, rosebuds, almonds and cinnamon.
Ash Reshteh — a dense and wholesome soup made of beans, herbs, lentils, spinach, turmeric, Persian noodles and covered in “kashk” — a preserve made of wheat mixed with sour yoghurt.
