افطاری

What it means

افطاری (eftâri) is the meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan, eaten at sunset the moment the dawn-to-dusk fast ends. The word comes from the Arabic root ف-ط-ر (f-t-r), meaning “to break, to begin,” the same root behind عید فطر (eyd-e fetr), the festival that ends Ramadan. The Persian form افطاری adds the suffix ـی (-i) to mark the meal itself, distinct from the act of breaking the fast (افطار, eftâr).

How to use it

• افطاری خوردیم (eftâri khordim) “we had iftar”
• افطاری چی داریم؟ (eftâri chi dârim?) “what do we have for iftar?”
• افطاری دعوت شدیم (eftâri da’vat shodim) “we’re invited to iftar”
• افطاری مسجد (eftâri-ye masjed) “the mosque iftar (free public meal)”
• تا افطار چقدر مونده؟ (tâ eftâr cheqadr munde?) “how long until iftar?”

The ritual of breaking the fast

During Ramadan, the fasting Iranian (روزه‌دار, ruze-dâr) does not eat or drink from dawn (سحر, sahar) until sunset (مغرب, maghreb). The exact moment of sunset is announced by the اذان مغرب (azân-e maghreb), the sunset call to prayer broadcast on radio, television, and from neighborhood mosques. At that signal, fasting Iranians break their fast, traditionally first with a date (خرما, khormâ) and a sip of water, following the practice attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. Then comes the full meal: usually warm soup (آش, âsh), a hearty dish of bread and cheese with herbs, often حلیم (halim, a wheat-and-meat porridge), then a main course of rice with stew or chicken, and finally tea with sweets. زولبیا و بامیه (zulbiâ-o bâmiye), two saffron-soaked fried sweets, are the signature Ramadan desserts available only during this month.

Cultural note

The افطاری is rarely a private meal. Mosques across Iran organize افطاری مسجد (eftâri-ye masjed), free public iftar programs that feed thousands every evening of Ramadan, supported by community donations and organized by volunteers. Wealthy families sponsor entire evenings. Workplaces shift hours so that workers can be home or at the mosque by sunset. Television and radio programming reshape around the iftar hour, with religious recitation, family dramas, and cooking shows clustered in the late afternoon. To be invited to a private افطاری at someone’s home is a meaningful gesture, and the host’s family prepares for days. Even non-fasting Iranians often join iftar meals out of family obligation or simple appreciation for the food and company. The meal carries spiritual weight: the moment of breaking the fast is considered a time when prayers are answered, and many Iranians make their wishes (دعا, do’â) silently in the seconds before that first date touches their lips.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab