What it means
تیر (tir) is the fourth month of the Solar Hijri calendar, roughly equivalent to late June through late July in the Gregorian calendar. The name comes from the Avestan Tishtrya, the Zoroastrian divinity associated with rain, fertility, and the star Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. In Middle Persian the name became Tir, and it has remained unchanged ever since. The word تیر also means “arrow” in Persian, a separate but phonetically identical word that feeds into the mythology of the month’s biggest festival, Tiregan. When Iranians say تیر ماه (tir mâh), they are naming the full month. The short form تیر is equally standard.
How to use it
- تولدم تیر ماهه. (tavallod-am tir mâhe.) “My birthday is in the month of Tir.”
- هوای تیر خیلی گرمه. (havâ-ye tir kheyli garme.) “The weather in Tir is very hot.”
- جشن تیرگان در تیر ماه برگزار میشه. (jashn-e tirgân dar tir mâh bargozâr mishe.) “The Tiregan festival is held in the month of Tir.”
- امتحانات دانشگاه توی تیره. (emtehânât-e dâneshgâh tuye tire.) “University exams are in Tir.”
Cultural note
Tir is the hottest month on the Iranian plateau, and Iranians often describe it as the peak of summer heat. The 13th of Tir is the date of Tiregan, one of the oldest Iranian water festivals, when people traditionally splash water on each other and tie rainbow-colored bands on their wrists. The month also carries the double meaning of “arrow,” which threads directly into the legend of Arash the Archer, whose arrow allegedly flew from dawn to noon on the 13th of Tir to fix the boundary between Iran and Turan.