Persian (Jalali / Solar Hijri)

Shamsi Date Today

Q: Why is the Shamsi calendar called "solar"?

Shamsi (شمسی) means "solar" in Persian — from shams (شمس), "sun". This name distinguishes it from qamari (lunar) calendars such as the Islamic Hijri calendar. Both are counted from the year 622 CE — the year of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's migration to Madinah — but the Shamsi tracks the sun (365.2422-day tropical year), while the Qamari tracks the moon (354-day lunar year). After fourteen centuries, the year numbers have drifted apart: as of today the Shamsi year is 1405, while the Hijri lunar year is 1447.

As of Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 2:16 AM, today's Persian (Jalali / Solar Hijri) date is:

13 Aban 1405

۱۳ آبان ۱۴۰۵

Chaharshanbeh Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Today's Persian (Jalali / Solar Hijri) date — full detail

Date: 13 Aban 1405
Persian: ۱۳ آبان ۱۴۰۵
Short form: 1405/8/13
Month: Aban
Year: 1405 SH / AHS (Anno Hegirae Solaris)
Weekday: Chaharshanbeh · چهارشنبه
Gregorian: Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Why today matters

Today is in Aban, named after the yazata of water. The 10th of Aban (Abangan) is a Zoroastrian feast of waters, and many Iranian regions celebrate the rains that traditionally begin in this month. Aban brings rain to the central Iranian plateau and snow to the northern peaks. The orange and tangerine groves of the Caspian provinces begin their harvest. The 13th of Aban is observed as the National Day of Fighting Global Arrogance, marking the 1979 takeover of the U.S. embassy.

Aban brings the rains — and with them, the fields' second breath. — Iranian saying

How we compute this

Persian (Jalali / Solar Hijri) is a solar hijri calendar. Each year contains 365 or 366 days (highly accurate solar tracking), with each month averaging 31 days (months 1–6), 30 days (months 7–11), 29 or 30 (month 12). Years are counted from 21 March 622 CE — the spring equinox of the hijrah year (era: SH / AHS (Anno Hegirae Solaris)).

The word Shamsi (شمسی) is the Persian adjective for "solar" — from shams (شمس), "sun". It distinguishes this calendar from the Qamari (قمری, lunar) Islamic calendar, which is also counted from 622 CE but tracks the moon rather than the sun. The Shamsi calendar is built on the most astronomically rigorous algorithm in widespread civic use: the year begins at the precise moment the vernal equinox occurs in Tehran (52.5° E longitude), and a year is a leap year if and only if the equinox falls before noon on that day. This makes the calendar accurate to within about one day in 110,000 years — far more accurate than the Gregorian system, which drifts about one day in 3,300 years. The mathematician and poet Omar Khayyam refined this algorithm in 1079 CE under Sultan Jalal al-Din Malik-Shah of the Seljuks, which is why the calendar is also called Jalali. The modern Iranian government formally adopted it in 1925.

Used by: ≈110 million people. Regions: Iran (official), Afghanistan, Tajik communities.

Frequently asked

What is the Shamsi date today?

Today's Shamsi (solar Hijri) date is 13 Aban 1405. In Persian script with Persian numerals: ۱۳ آبان ۱۴۰۵. The weekday is Chaharshanbeh (چهارشنبه).

Why is the Shamsi calendar called "solar"?

Shamsi (شمسی) means "solar" in Persian — from shams (شمس), "sun". This name distinguishes it from qamari (lunar) calendars such as the Islamic Hijri calendar. Both are counted from the year 622 CE — the year of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's migration to Madinah — but the Shamsi tracks the sun (365.2422-day tropical year), while the Qamari tracks the moon (354-day lunar year). After fourteen centuries, the year numbers have drifted apart: as of today the Shamsi year is 1405, while the Hijri lunar year is 1447.

How accurate is the Shamsi calendar compared to the Gregorian?

The Shamsi calendar is more accurate than the Gregorian. The Gregorian calendar uses an arithmetic rule (leap years divisible by 4 except centuries not divisible by 400), which drifts about one day every 3,300 years. The Shamsi calendar uses an observational rule (leap if the vernal equinox occurs before noon Tehran time on the starting day), which drifts about one day every 110,000 years. The trade-off: Shamsi leap years cannot be predicted by a simple formula and require astronomical computation for years far in the future.

What is the agricultural origin of the Shamsi month names?

The twelve Shamsi months are all named after Zoroastrian yazatas (angels/spiritual beings), preserving the pre-Islamic Iranian heritage: Farvardin (guardian spirits of the dead), Ordibehesht (truth and right order), Khordad (wholeness), Tir (rain-bringer), Mordad (immortality), Shahrivar (right dominion), Mehr (covenant), Aban (waters), Azar (fire), Dey (Creator), Bahman (good thought), and Esfand (holy devotion). The months also map cleanly to Iran's agricultural year — the spring months (Farvardin–Khordad) are planting and bloom; the summer months (Tir–Shahrivar) are heat and stone-fruit harvest; the autumn months (Mehr–Azar) bring rain and grain; the winter months (Dey–Esfand) are dormancy and preparation for Nowruz.