Azizan
Sepandarmazgan for kids: a day of love for mothers and the earth
Sepandarmazgan (سپندارمذگان, also called Esfandegan) is an old Persian day for showing love to mothers, women and the earth. In the old calendar it falls on 5 Esfand, which in 2027 is Wednesday, February 24. Many people today keep it on 29 Bahman instead, which in 2027 is Thursday, February 18. The two dates are the same old day, counted on two different calendars. The name comes from Sepandarmaz, or Spenta Armaiti, who in old Zoroastrian belief watches over the earth and stands for devotion; the month of Esfand is named after her. A thousand years ago it was already a feast when women were given presents. In recent years some Iranians have brought it back as a Persian day of love, though it is not kept everywhere. At home, a child can make a card for mum or grandma, plant a seed, or send a recorded message. Azizan (azizan.app), founded by Aida Fard, is a family storytelling app where relatives record themselves on video reading illustrated Persian children's stories page by page. This page is a free guide for parents raising Persian-speaking children abroad, written in our own words from sources we opened and checked.
Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app for immigrant and diaspora families: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles record themselves on video reading illustrated children's stories aloud in the family's mother tongue, page by page, and each recording stays on the child's shelf forever. Real family voices — never AI narration. Persian (Farsi) first.
When is Sepandarmazgan?
Sepandarmazgan has two dates, and both are in use. That is not a mistake on a calendar; it is the same old day, counted two ways.
- 5 Esfand, the fifth day of the last month of the Persian year. In 2027 that is Wednesday, February 24 (some years February 23). This is the old date, the one written down a thousand years ago.
- 29 Bahman, the second-to-last day of the month before. In 2027 that is Thursday, February 18 (some years February 17). Many people in Iran keep it on this day now.
Here is why. In the old Zoroastrian calendar every month had thirty days, and every day of the month had its own name, as well as every month. The fifth day was called Sepandarmaz, and so was the twelfth month, Esfand. When the day and the month had the same name, people held a feast, and that is how 5 Esfand became Sepandarmazgan. (Mehregan works the same way, on the day Mehr of the month Mehr.)
In 1925 Iran's calendar was changed so that the first six months have thirty-one days. That adds six days before Esfand. If you count the same number of days from Nowruz as in the old calendar, you no longer reach 5 Esfand; you land on 29 Bahman. So families who keep the day and the month names together celebrate on 5 Esfand, and those who keep the old distance from Nowruz celebrate on 29 Bahman. Choose whichever your family prefers. For the month names and where Esfand sits in the year, see Persian months and seasons for kids.
Who is Sepandarmaz?
The day is named after Spenta Armaiti, called Sepandarmaz or Esfandarmaz in Persian. In old Zoroastrian belief she is one of six holy beings who help look after the world, and each one cares for one part of it. Hers is the earth: the ground that holds the seeds, grows the plants and feeds everyone. Her name is usually translated as "holy devotion": steady, faithful love that keeps giving.
Because the earth gives life and looks after what grows on it, the old books link her with women and mothers as well. That is why her day became a day for them.
For a child, it can stay very simple: "Sepandarmaz looks after the earth, the way mummy and grandma look after us. The month of Esfand is named after her, and on her day we say thank you to both."
How was it kept, and how is it kept now?
About a thousand years ago, the scholar al-Biruni wrote about this day in his book on the calendars and feasts of the old nations. He said Sepandarmaz was in charge of the earth, and that this was a special feast for women, when men gave them generous presents. He added that the custom was still alive in his time in Isfahan, Rey and other towns of that region.
For a long time after that, the day was little known. In recent years some Iranians have taken it up again as a Persian day of love, especially for mothers, wives and grandmothers: a present, some flowers, a kind word, a day off from housework. Some people call it the Persian Valentine's Day, since it comes only a few days after February 14. It is not a public holiday, and many families do not keep it at all, so you may find that your own relatives have never marked it. That is fine. It is an easy, gentle day to start keeping at home.
It also comes in the last weeks of winter, after Sadeh and before Nowruz, when the ground is starting to wake up. That makes it a natural day to think about the earth too.
Ideas for a child abroad
Nothing here needs to be big. Pick one or two.
- Draw a card for mum or grandma. A flower, a heart, the child's hand traced in crayon. An adult writes one Persian line inside, for example مامان جون، دوستت دارم ("Mummy dear, I love you"), and the child adds their name or a scribble. If grandma lives far away, take a photo of the card and send it.
- Plant a seed. A small pot, some soil and a bean, lentils or wheat on wet cotton. Give the child the job of watering it. Say zamin as you press the soil down. By Nowruz there may be something green to show.
- Give a flower. One flower from the shop or the garden, given to mum, grandma or an aunt with the word gol.
- Do one kind thing for the earth. Pick up litter on a walk, feed the birds, or water a tree outside. Call it mehraboni with the earth.
- Record a message. The child says a few words for grandma on video: Maman bozorg, dooset daram. And grandma can send one back. On Azizan a grandmother can also read a story aloud on video for the child, page by page, in her own voice.
For more love words to use on the day, see Persian terms of endearment for kids, and for the names of everyone in the family, family words in Persian. If you plant something, garden and plant words has the words for it.
Persian words for Sepandarmazgan
| Persian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مادر (spoken: مامان) | maa-DAR (maa-MAAN) | mother (mum) |
| زمین | za-MEEN | earth, ground |
| مهربونی | meh-ra-boo-NEE | kindness (written مهربانی) |
| گل | GOL | flower |
| کادو | kaa-DOH | present, gift |
| سپندارمذگان | se-pan-daar-maz-GAAN | the day itself |
A sentence a small child can say: این گل برای تو، مامان. ("This flower is for you, mum.")
Related guides
- Sadeh for kids: the mid-winter fire festival
- Mehregan for kids
- Persian terms of endearment for kids
- Family words in Persian for kids
Questions
What is Sepandarmazgan?
Sepandarmazgan, also called Esfandegan, is an old Persian day for showing love to mothers, women and the earth. It is named after Sepandarmaz, or Spenta Armaiti, who in old Zoroastrian belief looks after the earth. Long ago it was a feast when women were given presents, and in recent years some Iranians have brought it back as a Persian day of love.
When is Sepandarmazgan in 2027?
There are two dates in use. The old date, 5 Esfand, is Wednesday, February 24, 2027. Many people now keep it on 29 Bahman, which is Thursday, February 18, 2027.
Why does Sepandarmazgan have two dates?
In the old calendar every month had thirty days, and the feast fell on 5 Esfand, the day whose name matched the month's. Since 1925 the first six months of the Iranian calendar have thirty-one days, which adds six days. Counting the same distance from Nowruz now lands on 29 Bahman, while keeping the day and month names together gives 5 Esfand.
Is Sepandarmazgan the Persian Valentine's Day?
Some people call it that, because it is a day of love and falls a few days after February 14. But its old meaning is wider: thanks and presents for mothers and women, and care for the earth. It is not a public holiday, and many families do not keep it.
How can children mark Sepandarmazgan?
Keep it small and warm. A child can draw a card for mum or grandma, give a flower, plant a seed and water it, do something kind for the earth, or send grandma a short video message saying they love her.
Open Azizan — record a story for your childUpdated: 2026-11-03 · By Aida Fard
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