Islamic Republic Day in Iran
Islamic Republic Day is an Iranian public holiday observed on 12 Farvardin. It commemorates the 1979 referendum in which voters chose to establish an Islamic republic, a decision that shaped the country’s political order.[1][2]
A public holiday set by law
Iran’s 1359 law on official holidays names 12 Farvardin as Islamic Republic Day and includes it among the country’s official public holidays. The law lists the date itself; it does not specify a replacement day when it coincides with another holiday or a weekend.[1]
The law establishes the holiday nationwide, but it does not enumerate which groups of workers receive the day off or provide opening schedules for offices, banks, shops, transport, or tourist sites. Check local hours with particular services.[1]
The 1979 referendum
The referendum took place on 10–11 Farvardin 1358, corresponding to 30–31 March 1979. It asked voters whether to establish an Islamic Republic after the Pahlavi monarchy had been overthrown. Encyclopaedia Iranica reports that 98.2 percent voted in favour.[2]
The result gave the new political system a public mandate in the account presented by Iran’s constitutional preamble. The constitution describes the vote as the nation’s decision to establish a republican and Islamic order. Islamic Republic Day therefore recalls a specific political choice in Iran’s modern history, rather than a religious observance.[2]
What the day commemorates
The referendum formed part of the transition from monarchy to the Islamic Republic. Iranica explains that the republic’s later constitution gave a central place to the Islamic character of the revolution and to the principle of clerical authority known as velāyat-e faqīh. The holiday’s meaning is tied to that founding moment and to the political system that followed it.[2]
The legal text confirms the date and public-holiday status, but there is no established customary meal, regional tradition, or standard programme of public ceremonies for the day. Check transport arrangements and business opening hours with individual services.[1][2]
Frequently asked questions
When is Islamic Republic Day?
It is observed each year on 12 Farvardin in Iran’s Solar Hijri calendar.[1]
Is it an official day off?
Yes. Iran’s law lists 12 Farvardin among the country’s official public holidays. Check opening hours with government offices and banks before you go.[1]
Is there a substitute day if it falls on a weekend?
The holiday law names 12 Farvardin but does not state a substitute-day rule for this date.[1]
What is open on the holiday?
Check opening hours with government offices and banks before you go.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for Islamic Republic Day in Iran:
- لایحه قانونی تعیین تعطیلات رسمی کشور- Nezamat
- CONSTITUTION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC- Encyclopaedia Iranica