Today in the Persian Calendar27 Mehr 1405
Mehr 1405 — Persian Calendar
Celebrations in Mehr
Verse of Today
“And this I know: whether the one True Light,
Kindle to Love, or Wrath consume me quite,
One Glimpse of It within the Tavern caught
Better than in the Temple lost outright.”
The True Light in autumn is the amber light of Mehr — lower, warmer in color, the light that makes everything look like it is briefly on fire before going out. This is the autumn glimpse: not the full summer blaze but the glimpse of something essential. Whether it kindles to love or wrath — autumn makes the question less hypothetical. The Light's attitude toward you becomes more visible in autumn.
Explore Persian Calendar
Date Converter
Convert any date between Persian, Gregorian, and Islamic Hijri calendars.
02Twelve Months
The meaning, origins, and Khayyam poetry behind all twelve Persian months.
03Omar Khayyam
The mathematician-poet who built the world's most precise solar calendar.
04Persian Celebrations
Nowruz, Yalda Night, Mehregan — the ancient celebrations of the Persian year.
05Learn
Why the Persian calendar beats Gregorian for accuracy. A complete guide.
06Daily Verse
A new quatrain from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam for every day of the Persian year.
Coming Up Celebrations in Persian Calendar
Abanegan
جشن آبانگان
Aban 10
Azargan
جشن آذرگان
Azar 9
Yalda Night
شب یلدا
Azar 30
Dayegan
جشن دیگان
Dey 1
Bahman Festival
جشن بهمن
Bahman 2
Sadeh
جشن سده
Bahman 10
Esfandegan
جشن اسفندگان
Esfand 5
Chaharshanbe Suri
چهارشنبهسوری
Esfand 28
Nowruz
نوروز
Farvardin 1
Sizdah Bedar
سیزده بدر
Farvardin 13
About the Persian Calendar
The Persian calendar — known in Farsi as the Shamsi or Jalali calendar — is the official calendar of Iran and Afghanistan. It is a solar calendar: each year begins precisely at the spring equinox, the astronomical moment Iranians celebrate as Nowruz.
The calendar was scientifically reformed in 1079 CE by Omar Khayyam — the mathematician, astronomer, and poet commissioned by Sultan Jalal al-Din Malik Shah. His reform made the Persian calendar the most accurate solar calendar ever devised: a leap year error of just one day in 3,770 years. The Gregorian calendar, by comparison, drifts one day in 3,300 years.
The calendar has 12 months. The first six — Farvardin through Shahrivar — each have 31 days and span spring and summer. The next five — Mehr through Bahman — have 30 days and carry autumn into winter. Esfand, the final month, has 29 days in a regular year and 30 in a leap year. Use the Persian date converter to find any date in the Jalali calendar, or explore Iranian celebrations throughout the year throughout the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Persian calendar — also called the Jalali or Shamsi calendar — is the official solar calendar of Iran and Afghanistan. Scientifically reformed by Omar Khayyam in 1079 CE, it begins each year at the astronomical spring equinox (Nowruz) and is the most accurate solar calendar in use, with a leap year error of just one day in 3,770 years.
Today is 27 Mehr 1405 in the Persian (Jalali) calendar, corresponding to October 19, 2026 in the Gregorian calendar. The Persian calendar year begins at Nowruz and has 12 months starting with Farvardin.
Jalali and Shamsi refer to the same calendar system. Jalali honors Sultan Jalal al-Din Malik Shah who commissioned Omar Khayyam's 1079 CE reform. Shamsi comes from the Arabic word for 'sun', reflecting its solar nature. Both terms are used interchangeably in Persian-speaking communities.
The Persian calendar has 12 months. The first six (Farvardin through Shahrivar) each have 31 days. The next five (Mehr through Bahman) have 30 days each. The final month, Esfand, has 29 days in a regular year and 30 in a leap year.
The Persian calendar was reformed by Omar Khayyam in 1079 CE. Best known in the West as the poet of the Rubaiyat, Khayyam was primarily a mathematician and astronomer. His reform created a calendar more precise than any other solar calendar — a mathematical achievement that remains unmatched today.
The Persian new year, called Nowruz, begins at the exact astronomical moment of the spring equinox — typically March 20 or 21 in the Gregorian calendar. Because it follows the sun rather than a fixed date, Nowruz keeps the Persian calendar perfectly aligned with the solar year.