The Solar Hijri (Shamsi) Calendar Explained
The Solar Hijri calendar, also called the Shamsi, Persian or Jalali calendar, is used in Iran and Afghanistan. Like the Islamic calendar it counts years from the Hijra of 622 CE, but it is a solar calendar: its months stay in the same season every year.
Beginning at the equinox
The year begins on Nowruz, the day of the March (vernal) equinox, usually 20 or 21 March. The exact first day is set by the moment of the equinox as observed in Iran, which makes the Solar Hijri calendar one of the most precise calendars in use: its year follows the true solar year rather than a fixed leap-year rule. Nowruz is also celebrated as New Year across Central Asia; UNESCO lists it as intangible cultural heritage, and the United Nations marks 21 March as the International Day of Nowruz.
The twelve months
The first six months have 31 days, the next five have 30, and the last has 29, or 30 in a leap year:
- Farvardin, Ordibehesht, Khordad, Tir, Mordad, Shahrivar (31 days)
- Mehr, Aban, Azar, Dey, Bahman (30 days)
- Esfand (29 or 30 days)
The Persian month names go back to the Zoroastrian calendar. In Afghanistan the same months are known by the names of the signs of the zodiac, from Hamal to Hut.
Same start, different years
The Solar and lunar Hijri calendars share the same starting point, but the lunar year is about 11 days shorter, so the two year numbers drift apart by about one year every 33 years. In 2026, for example, the lunar Hijri year is 1447–1448 while the Solar Hijri year is 1404–1405.
A short history
The calendar descends from the Jalali calendar introduced in the 11th century under the Seljuq sultan Malik-Shah, with astronomers including Omar Khayyam. The modern form, with Persian month names and the Hijra as epoch, was adopted by Iran's parliament in 1925.
On HijriTime
HijriTime focuses on the lunar Hijri calendar and its Gregorian equivalent. To see how a lunar Hijri date relates to the Gregorian calendar, use the Hijri date converter or browse a whole year in the Hijri calendar.
Sources and Verification
This article was written by Fatah Nasrat and checked against the official, scientific and academic sources below. HijriTime does not copy source texts; it explains their methods and findings in its own words.
← All articles