Editing Iranian calendars (section)

=== Old Persian calendar ===
Old Persian inscriptions and tablets indicate that early Iranians used a [[360-day calendar]] based on the solar observation directly and modified for their beliefs. Days were not named. The months had two or three divisions depending on the phase of the moon. Twelve months of 30 days were named for festivals or activities of the [[pastoral]] year. An [[intercalation (timekeeping)|intercalation]] month was added periodically<!-- the source has a sixth and and a thirteenth intercalary month at ill-determined intervals. There may have been cycles and epicycles? --> to keep the calendar synchronized with the seasons.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Oriental Institute Publications | publisher = University of Chicago Press | volume=92  |first=Richard T. |last=Hallock | title=Persepolis Fortification Tablets |page=3, 75{{ndash}}76 |date=1969}}</ref>

The following table lists the Old Persian months, alongside the approximate Gregorian months and approximate Babylonian [[lunar months]].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calendars|title=CALENDARS |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica |access-date=2019-05-19}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''Order'''
| style="text-align:center;"| '''Approximate corresponding [[Julian calendar|Julian]] months'''
| style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Old Persian language|Old Persian]]'''
| style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Elamite language|Elamite spelling]]'''
| style="text-align:center;"| '''Meaning'''
| style="text-align:center;"| '''Approximate corresponding [[Babylonian calendar|Babylonian]] lunar month(s)'''
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| March–April
| style="text-align:center;"| Ādukanaiša
| style="text-align:center;"| Hadukannaš
| style="text-align:center;"| "Sowing (month)"
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Nisan|Nīsannu]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 2
|| April–May
|| Θūravāhara
|| Turmar
|| "(Month of) strong spring"
|| Ayyāru
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 3
|| May–June
|| Θāigraciš
|| Sākurriziš
|| "Garlic-collecting (month)"
|| Sīmannu
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 4
|| June–July
|| Garmapada
|| Karmabataš
|| "Heat-station (month)"
|| Du'ūzu
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 5
|| July–August
|| Drnabāji
|| Turnabaziš
|| "Harvest (month)"
|| Ābu
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 6
|| August–September
|| Kārapaθiya
|| Karbašiyaš
|| uncertain
|| Ulūlū
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
| style="text-align:center;"| September–October
| style="text-align:center;"| Bāgayādiš
| style="text-align:center;"| Bakeyatiš
| style="text-align:center;"| "(Month of) the worship of [[bhaga|baga]] (god, perhaps [[Mithra]])"
| style="text-align:center;"| Tašrītu
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 8
|| October–November
|| *Vrkazana
|| Markašanaš
|| "Wolf killing (month)"
|| Arahsamna
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 9
|| November–December
|| Āçiyādiya
|| Hašiyatiš
|| "(Month) of the worship of the fire"
|| Kisilīmu
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 10
|| December–January
|| Anāmaka
|| Hanamakaš
|| "(Month of) the nameless god(?)"
|| Tebētu
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 11
|| January–February
|| *Θwayauvā
|| Samiyamaš
|| "(Month of) the terrible one"
|| Šabāţu
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 12
|| February–March
|| Viyax(a)na
|| Miyakannaš
|| "Digging-up (month)"
|| Addāru
|}

There were four farming festivals, symmetric about ''maidyoshahem'':

{| class="wikitable" style="float:centre"
!Festival||Time from previous
|-
|hamaspathmaidyem||75 days
|-
|maidyoshahem||105 days
|-
|ayathrem||105 days
|-
|maidyarem||75 days
|}

Two more festivals were later added, creating the six ''gahanbar'':

{| class="wikitable" style="float:centre"
!Festival||Time from previous
|-
|hamaspathmaidyem (end of retirement)||75 days
|-
|maidyozarem (spring)||45 days
|-
|maidyoshahem (mid-summer)||60 days
|-
|paitishahem (harvest)||75 days
|-
|ayathrem (end of the summer)||30 days
|-
|maidyarem||75 days
|}