Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran
Iran’s Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution is observed on 22 Bahman, a date listed in national law as a public holiday called “Revolution Day.” It recalls the final collapse of the Pahlavi monarchy in 1979 and the revolution that led to the Islamic Republic.[1][3][4]
A public holiday set by law
Iran’s law on official holidays includes 22 Bahman and names it Revolution Day. The law lists it among the country’s official holidays; it does not set out a separate substitute day when the date falls on a weekly rest day.[1]
Iran’s Labour Law treats official holidays as workers’ holidays and says they are not counted as annual leave. It also recognizes that some public services, including water, electricity and bus service, may arrange a different weekly rest day for their workers. The provisions reviewed do not specify opening hours for banks, shops or transport on 22 Bahman, so travelers should check with individual providers.[2]
What the date commemorates
The date recalls the revolution’s decisive final days. Encyclopaedia Iranica records that on 11 February 1979 Iran’s Supreme Military Council withdrew support from Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar; the old regime’s remaining political, administrative and military organs collapsed on 12 February.[4] The annual holiday’s placement on 22 Bahman links it to that culmination of the revolution.[1]
The anniversary is associated with the creation of the Islamic Republic, but it does not mark the formal proclamation of the new republic. Khomeini’s life account in Encyclopaedia Iranica describes a referendum on founding an Islamic Republic on 30 and 31 March 1979, followed by its proclamation on 1 April.[3]
Commemoration and practical planning
The law establishes the holiday but does not prescribe ceremonies, food traditions or regional customs. Check local announcements for details of rallies, performances and temporary road arrangements.[1]
For residents and visitors, the clearest planning fact is the legal status: this is a national public holiday. The law and Labour Law support treating it as a nonworking holiday for covered workers, while the Labour Law recognizes that some essential public services operate under different weekly-rest arrangements. The cited provisions set no specific office, bank, shop or transport schedules.[1][2]
Frequently asked questions
When is the Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution?
It is observed each year on 22 Bahman in the Iranian calendar, the date the official-holiday law names as Revolution Day.[1]
Is it a public holiday in Iran?
Are banks, shops and public transport open?
The legal provisions cited here do not give a uniform schedule for banks, private shops or transport. Check the hours of the specific service you plan to use; the Labour Law notes that some public services have different weekly-rest arrangements.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for Anniversary of Islamic Revolution in Iran:
- لایحه قانونی تعیین تعطیلات رسمی کشور- Nezamat (Iranian laws and regulations archive)
- LABOUR LAW- International Labour Organization, NATLEX
- KHOMEINI i. Life- Encyclopaedia Iranica
- Chronology of Iranian History Part 4- Encyclopaedia Iranica