Chaharshanbe

Chaharshanbe (Persian: چهارشنبه) is the Persian name for Wednesday, the fourth day of the week in Iran and among Persian-speaking communities. The word combines chahar (“four”) and shanbeh (“day” or Wednesday), reflecting its position in the weekly cycle when the week commonly begins on Saturday.

In Iranian practice, the week begins on Saturday, making Wednesday the fourth day. Some international calendars that start the week on Monday place Wednesday as the third day. The term is widely used in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Persian-speaking diaspora communities.

Chaharshanbe Suri is a well-known festival linked to the day, held on the eve of Chaharshanbe (Wednesday) and preceding Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. The festival features fires and people jumping over flames while reciting traditional phrases, and it serves as a cultural rite of cleansing and renewal in many regions.

As a weekday, Chaharshanbe itself does not carry a fixed religious observance, though regional and seasonal variations in social and commercial activity are common across Persian-speaking communities.