There are six Gahambars, the seasonal festivals of Zoroastrianism.
The Gahambars are six religious observances traditionally connected with the seasons and with Ahura Mazda’s primordial creations. Their names are Maidyozarem, Maidyoshahem, Paitishahem, Ayathrem, Maidyarem and Hamaspathmaidyem. Together, they mark stages such as spring growth, midsummer, harvest, the return of herds, winter and humanity.
Each festival is observed over five days in modern practice. Hamaspathmaidyem is exceptional because it is associated with the ten-day Frawardigan period, when the souls of the dead are commemorated. The festivals also involve communal meals and charitable sharing, making them important expressions of social solidarity rather than merely calendar markers.
Their seasonal timing is not identical for every Zoroastrian community. Calendar systems such as Shahenshahi and Kadmi do not regularly intercalate leap years, so the festivals can drift away from the astronomical seasons. The number six remains constant, however; it is not twelve, seven or four.