On the calendar of Persian festivals according to Bērōnī’s Canon Masudicus

This day is called Nōgrōz meaning ‘new-day’, being the first day of the New Year. It was the longest day of the year (the time of the summer-solstice), the time of the ripening of the corn, and therefore the time of the gathering of the taxes. It is reported that Jimšēd (Yima xšaēta) got on the carriage, and went forth to the south to fight the Daēva, i.e. Sudān and Zang (black land).

On this day Jim came back victorious from his expedition; he sat on a throne studded with gold and jewels, and the rays of the sun fell on it, the face of Jim was splendid, for this reason they gave it the title of Šēd meaning الشعاع ‘ray, beam’. On the same day they used to pour water (over themselves) or sprinkle (it over each other), because this day is sacred to the archangel of the water (Haurvatāt/ Hurdād). And on the same day Jim brought forward the measures of things.

This day is sacred to Srōš (Sraoša), the strong deity against the Daēva.

They celebrate this day on account of the identity of the name of the day and of the month in which it lies.

They celebrate this day on account of the identity of the name of the day and the month. Aṣa Vahišta/ Urdvahišt is the archangel of fire.

So called on account of the identity of the name of the day and the month.

So called on account of the identity of the name of the day and the month. On this day Ariš (Ǝrǝxša) shot an arrow with reference to a treaty between Manušcihr (Manuš.ciθra) and Afrāsyāb (Fraŋrasyan), to the effect that Manušcihr’s dominion should extend as far as the shot. It is said that the arrow went from the mountain of Rōyān to *Bungōzag between Farγāna and Toxārestān. On this day the people of Ērānšahr break their cooking-vessels and fire-grates, since on this day they were liberated from the siege of Fraŋrasyan, and everybody was free to go to his work; they cook raw wheat with fruits, since during the siege the people were not able to grind the wheat. On this same day the Persians wash themselves (or play in the water), of which the reason is this that Kay-Xusrō (Kavi Haosravah), on returning from the war against Fraŋrasyan, sat down on this day at a fountain quite alone at some distance from his encampment, and fainted away from fatigue; about that time Vēzan (Vaijana) son of Gōdarz arrived, and he sprinkled some of that water on his face; ever since, it has been the custom of ablution, this being considered a good omen.

So called on account of the identity of the name of the day and the month.

This feast was called Āδur-jašn, i.e. the feast of the fires, because in the last days of the Persian (kingdom) about the time of Šahrveragān the air (season) altered to cold, and therefore people needed to make fire in their dwelling-places.

This day is also the feast-day of the Tuxārians (for the beginning of winter), and in our times it has changed to the beginning of autumn; it is called the First Xazān; and after fifteen days there will be the Second Xazān. These two Xazān-days are described as “Private” and “Public”.

On this day Frēdōn (Θraētaona) obtained victory over Bēvarasp (Baēvarǝ.spasan), who is known as Dahāk (Dahāka), and bound and imprisoned him in Mount Dumbāvand.

It has been said that Frēdōn’s subduing and binding Dahāk was on the day Rām. Zaraθuštra ordered that both Mihr rōz and Rām rōz should be held in veneration; the relation between them was as the two Nōgrōz.

On this day Zav (Uzava) son of Tahmāsp (Tumāspa) ordered the channels which were blocked by Fraŋrasyan be dug, and he conducted water from rivers. When, on the same day, the news of the end of Bēvarasp’s rule reached all the (seven) Kišvar (seven karšvar = the seven κλίματα), then people (by the order of Frēdōn) could take possession of their houses and families.

The last five days of the month Ābān are called Fravardīgān; during this time people set out food and drink for the spirits of the dead (fravaṣi), and these are so called on account of the nourishing of the spirit.

This day at the time of the renowned (Persian) kings was the beginning of spring. On this day a thin-bearded man used to ride about, fanning himself with a fan to express his rejoicing at the end of the cold season and the coming of the warm season. This custom is in Persis still kept up for fun. And the fan was poison and the sign of his agony and death. On this same day they claimed Xvarāsān Xvarrah ‘Fortune of the Orient’, a winged fox (or: foretelling the future was current), appeared at the time of the Kavi and it was the sign of their good fortune.

So called on account of the identity of the name of the day and the month. On this day people visit the fire-temples and they offer offerings and alms.

This day is also called Navad rōz ‘ninety days’, because there are 90 days between this day and Nōgrōz. Three days of this month are celebrated on account of the agreement of the names of these days with that of the month:

They used to prepare food with garlic to protect themselves against the harm of the Daēva; they believed that on this day the Daēva defeated Jim (Yima) and killed him.

They used to decorate a cow (or, an ox) and take it out, because it was on this day that the weaning of Frēdōn took place and he rode on the ox. On this day the cow(s) of Āθβya father of Frēdōn that had been held by Dahāka was (were) let out by Frēdōn.

On this day they cook in caldrons all sorts of (edible) plants, grains, blossoms, and all sorts of eatable meat. They drink the white Vahman (Centaura behen), mixed with the purest white milk, maintaining that this helps to preserve the body and to defend it against evil.

On this day Maṣya and Maṣyānī, the primeval men, completed the procreation of a hundred souls, and for this reason the day was called Sadag, i.e. ‘a hundred’. According to others there is an interval of 100 days between this day and Nōgrōz, if you count 50 days and 50 nights separately, and therefore the day was called Sadag ‘Hundred’ days in the same way as Navad-rōz (i.e. ‘90 days’). On the night between the 10th and 11th they light fires, the reason was this: Bēvarasp had a minister (vizīr) called Armāyēl (*arma-ilu), a benevolent man; when Dahāk had ordered him to kill every day two men (so that he might feed his two serpents with their brains), Armāyēl, of each two, concealed one alive in Dumbāvand. When Frēdōn conquered Bēvarasp, Armāyēl told him the tale of those whom he had set free. Frēdon sent a faithful follower to examine this claim. Armāyēl sent ahead an order to each person to light a fire on the roof of his house, and to make bright the surrounding place from the multitude of fires. Then Frēdōn gave him Dumbāvand as a fief, and called him Masmoγān (a royal title).

They used to pour the water over each other. The reason is this: in the time of Pērōz, the grandfather of (Husrō) Anōšervān, the rain was kept back for seven years. Pērōz went to the fire-temple known as Āδur-xvarrā; there he worshipped with humility and sincerity, and wished God to bring relief to the inhabitants of the world by giving them copious rain. On this day it rained, and in the joy which everybody felt over this event, they poured the water over each other. This has become a custom in Spāhān to celebrate this day because the people of Spāhān got the rain on this day.