Mazandaran is a province in northern Iran, located along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. We are going to talk a bit about the various customs and traditions of this province. Stay with Saed News.
On weekends, Nowruz holidays, and during the summer, the first place we Iranians usually choose for travel is the lush and beautiful region of northern Iran. Since we love this area so much, it's a good idea to get to know the culture and customs of its local people. How familiar are you with the customs of Mazandaran? This province is one of the most densely populated areas in Iran. It has 22 counties and is considered one of the largest provinces in northern Iran.
One of the interesting rituals unique to the women of Mazandaran is the Varf Chal ceremony held in the village of Esk, located on the Haraz road. This ceremony is performed at the end of winter, when the snow begins to melt—typically between early to mid-Ordibehesht (late April to early May), on a Friday. The village elders announce the time of the celebration, and everyone is informed. The ceremony is essentially a way to store snow for the dry summer months. When water shortages peaked in summer, herders would use the snow preserved in a pit called "Varf Chal."
On the day of the ceremony, after breakfast with tea and a packed lunch, the men head toward the snow pit on the slopes of Mount Damavand. Meanwhile, the women take charge of all village affairs. They gather in mosques and public places, holding festivities involving mock weddings and role-playing games like "king and vizier." This celebration is exclusively for women. The snow pit was created by Seyyed Hasan Vali, whose tomb in the village of Niak is a site of pilgrimage. Once at the pit, the men each contribute snow to fill it. Afterward, they share tea and lunch, then perform the noon prayer. During the celebration, men are forbidden from entering the village—if they do, the women chase them with sticks! But after lunch, the men return to the village. This ceremony has been held in the village since ancient times.
Muharram observances are very important in Mazandaran. Before the month begins, all towns in the province are adorned in black. Mourning processions, traditional gatherings (tekyehs), chest-beating, chain-beating rituals, and distribution of votive offerings are held. In the village of Nava, in Amol County, offerings are distributed from the 1st to the 7th of Muharram. On the 7th, people gather to see the "Nakhil" (a symbolic wooden structure), which is paraded on the 8th.
The villagers believe the Nakhil represents Imam Hussein's coffin. On the 8th, people follow it while mourning rituals are performed. From the 8th to the 10th, milk is distributed, and people visit homes that have offerings like syrup and dates. Animals such as sheep or cattle are also sacrificed. On the night of the 10th—Sham-e-Ghariban—the Nakhil is paraded again, with people walking barefoot, holding candles, heading toward the village shrine.
In the past in Mazandaran, once it was known a woman was pregnant, people began holding various celebrations leading up to and following the birth:
Vache Bekerdan (birth moment)
Nom Beshten (name selection)
Deh Hammom (bathing the baby on the 10th day)
Gahareh Bandooni (cradle ceremony)
Dannon Sari (first tooth celebration)
Goosh Rahkari (ear piercing for girls)
Khatneh Saron or Chik Varini (circumcision ceremony for boys)
Mazandaranis call Yalda night Chelleh Sho or Mahi Gerdeh Bich. It’s a beloved occasion, and people believe that failing to prepare a meal for the night brings bad luck. While the customs are similar to other regions, the difference lies in the local food: unlike people in Tehran who buy sweets, Mazandaranis make traditional treats like Beoudoneh (sweet rice pops). Men play local games, while women enjoy their own activities. A traditional Yalda poem from Mazandaran reads:
Ey biyamo Chelleh Sho – Yalda night has come again
Bakher Bakhere nese Sho – We eat until midnight
Key tim o enartim – Pumpkin and pomegranate seeds
Dakerdeme sheh beti – We filled our bellies
Beshtazik bovin jan – Look at the sesame sweet
Deres hakarde mi nanjan – My mom made it
Hendoneh re ghaf bezan – Slice the watermelon
Ghachel ghachel tab bezan – Chop it up
Ta sevaayi korsi ben – Under the heater till morning
Hey shon bekesh mi eshkem – My belly screams for more!
Fifteen days before Nowruz, Nowruz Khans (singers) enter villages, singing poems in praise of the Imams and announcing the New Year’s arrival. A group of performers includes a singer, a musician, and a bag-carrier (koleh kesh), who visits homes singing:
"Spring wind has come / Sultan Nowruz has arrived / Give glad tidings to friends / Flowers have bloomed..."
Homeowners reward them with money, sweets, walnuts, eggs, chickpeas, and raisins.
Chilak Marka: Two teams use a small stick (chilak) and a big one (marka) to play a hitting game. The team whose stick flies farther wins, and losers give piggyback rides.
Aghoozka (Walnut Game): Players stack walnuts and take turns hitting them with a larger walnut (kol). The winner collects all the walnuts.
Rope Walking (Rismun Bazi): A performer walks a tightrope with a tray on his head, sometimes even using a bicycle. A jester below entertains the crowd. The performance ends with the jester collecting treats or money.
Luchu Wrestling: A competitive traditional wrestling game, often during weddings, religious holidays, or after rice harvest. Rules forbid hitting the head, fingers, shoulders, or ears. Winners compete over two weeks, and the champion is awarded a cow bought by villagers.
Everyone is familiar with Chaharshanbe Suri, the fire-jumping celebration before Nowruz. In Mazandaran, women also cook a special soup called Haft Torshi Ash, made with seven types of pickles, which they share with neighbors. The event is more about gathering than food itself!
Held in mid-Aban (early November), Tirma Sarda Sho has various mythological roots—some say it marks Kaveh's victory over Zahhak or celebrates Arash the Archer. Families gather to eat snacks and hear elders' tales. Youth and children go door to door with a stick and a bag, asking for treats by singing rhymes and knocking loudly.
Held annually on Tir 28 (July 18–19), particularly in Imamzadeh Hassan, Savadkooh, this ceremony—also known as the “Feast of the Dead”—commemorates Fereydoun’s victory over Zahhak in Damavand. People gather for feasting, candle lighting on graves, and traditional wrestling matches. In the plains, it’s celebrated in cemeteries.
As agriculture relies heavily on rainfall, drought leads to special rituals. Villagers gather in mosques or open areas, praying for rain. The village elder wets a part of the Qur'an’s cover or washes the pulpit with rosewater as a symbolic act. They also prepare shir berenj (rice pudding with milk) and pour some on rooftops, hoping for rain.
A similar drought ritual involves collecting ingredients to make pudding or soup. Women prepare the food, while everyone prays. A part of the ritual includes pouring water over a descendant of the Prophet (Seyyed) or placing the pulpit in water.
If rainfall is excessive, people pray for sun. In one custom, they write the names of seven or forty bald men on paper and hang it so the wind carries it away. In the village of Kerat in Sari, women sing this verse when rain disrupts farming:
"Where is the rain, where is the endless rain? / The wheat is buried in dry soil..."
Wedding ceremonies in the cities and villages of Mazandaran are celebrated with many similarities. One such ceremony includes a grand “Polokhoran” (rice feast) accompanied by local songs, dances, and music. The wedding celebration takes place at the bride’s father's house. After completing the formalities, the bride is mounted on a horse and taken to the groom’s house. The groom, also on horseback, rides out to meet the bride from a distance and distributes coins and sweets among the guests. In the past, instead of coins and sweets, oranges were thrown. Among the most interesting wedding customs in the Chalous region are wrestling and bullfighting. If either the bride or groom belongs to a wealthy or prominent family, a special event featuring wrestling and bullfighting is held, known in the Tabari language as “Varza Jangi.”
People in Mazandaran begin the holy month of Ramadan with special attention to those fasting for the first time, who are honored at the Iftar table. Ramadan is the month of repentance, forgiveness, peace, and submission, and people enter it with the hope of returning to their true selves by overcoming the ego. In Iranian culture, Ramadan holds a unique place and is considered sacred in all cities across the country. Among the customs and beliefs of the people in this month is the offering of various vows, which they take very seriously. In preparation, they fast for three days before the month begins to seek their wishes and strengthen their spiritual connection with God.
In Mazandaran, those who fast for the first time upon reaching religious maturity do not break their fast until they receive a gift from their elders called “Roozeh-Sari.” These gifts often include a prayer chador and jewelry for girls, and money or traditional silver items for boys.
Mazandaranis believe in staying awake at Suhur (pre-dawn) to perform Nafl (voluntary) prayers and often recite the supplication of Imam Ali in Amir Mosque, whispering the name of “Mola.” People prepare for Suhur either by the crowing of roosters or by traditional singers. These singers would loudly call: “It’s dawn, rise, it’s time for prayer,” waking up neighbors still asleep. Reading the Abu Hamza Thumali supplication and reciting one Juz' of the Qur’an by literate individuals are also part of the traditions. Local Suhur dishes include sak with kuku, eggs, and rice, and in the past, ghorghenaq — believed to prevent hunger and fatigue during the day. Inviting family and relatives for Iftar is a vital tradition in Mazandaran.
The farewell ceremony begins on the 27th night of Ramadan. During these nights, religious singers and preachers recite farewell songs to the holy month with phrases like “Goodbye Ramadan, the month of light and Qur’an” in beautifully composed local poetry. They prepare spiritually for the arrival of the month of Shawwal and the grand Eid. A unique ritual includes blowing over a sugar cube and tying knots in a thread while reciting the Jowshan Kabir prayer, which is then given to a sick person for healing. On the night of Imam Ali’s (AS) martyrdom, people refrain from eating sweets as a sign of mourning.
The traditional Festival of the Dead, held on January 16 (26th of Dey month), is especially common in Sari. Though its name might sound somber, the event is not about mourning but celebration. In this ancient custom, people of Sari take part in activities such as horseback riding, Lucho wrestling, charity for the deceased, lighting candles for the dead, and distributing sweets. As detailed earlier in the article, the ceremony is held annually with large crowds gathering at the shrine of Imamzadeh Hassan.
Every year on July 10, the people of Sari gather at a place called Qala-yeesh to celebrate the Nurgoon Festival (meaning “flaming shrubs”). They burn dry bushes and twirl them around their heads. According to legend, when Fereydoun captured Zahhak, he lit a fire to announce the news. People living near Mount Damavand, eagerly waiting for this signal, set their own fires and tied the burning shrubs to ropes, raising and spinning them to signal their unity. Since then, this symbolic act has become a lasting tradition.
Kadoo Bareh: A flavorful vegetarian dish made with zucchini, tomatoes, eggs, garlic, onions, potatoes, and spices.
Kei Anar: Recommended for those with anemia, this dish combines pumpkin and pomegranate, with ingredients like lentils, garlic, walnuts, onions, pinto beans, oil, and turmeric.
Akbar Joojeh: A famous chicken dish cooked with pomegranate paste, saffron, lemon juice, oil, and special spices. It is served with rice.
Nardon Stew: A traditional wedding dish made with duck, pomegranate, onions, pomegranate paste, garlic, and sugar, offering a rich, delicious flavor.
Stuffed Duck (Ordak-e Shekam Por): A skillful recipe involving duck stuffed with onions, pomegranate paste, tomato paste, sour orange paste, spices, and aromatic herbs, then slow-cooked.
Garlic-Pomegranate Stew: A tangy stew prepared with wild garlic powder, pomegranate, pomegranate paste, chicken or quail, onions, and optional saffron or olive oil.
Baghala Vabij: A dish made with broad beans, dried dill, eggs, garlic, butter or oil, and spices, often served with rice and pickled olives.
The customs and traditions mentioned above represent only a portion of Mazandaran's rich cultural heritage. A full account would require an entire book! Here, we have tried to present the most important highlights. We hope you enjoyed reading about them.
