How many days after Nowruz is the Iranian picnic holiday traditionally observed?
Answer
Thirteen days
The Iranian picnic holiday is traditionally observed on the thirteenth day after Nowruz. The day is known as Sizdah Bedar and brings the formal holiday period to a close in Iran.
Families commonly spend Sizdah Bedar outdoors, visiting parks or the countryside, sharing food, playing games, and enjoying nature. A widespread custom involves taking the sabzeh, the sprouts displayed during Nowruz, outdoors and returning it to flowing water or leaving it in nature. This practice symbolizes sending away the old year’s troubles and completing the holiday cycle.
The number thirteen has sometimes been surrounded by modern superstitions, but the festival itself is primarily a day of outdoor social celebration. Counting conventions can differ in casual explanations, yet Sizdah Bedar is conventionally described as the thirteenth day of the Nowruz period.