What if your birthday came with a bonus date? In the latest episode of Tere Gully Mein, Nauheed Cyrusi takes us through Mumbai’s Parsi world, from its beautiful colonies to her family home, giving viewers a peek into a community that has quietly shaped the city for generations. And while talking about Parsi festivals, she revealed something that sounds almost too good to be true; Parsis can have two birthdays.
Why Do Parsis Have Two Birthdays? Nauheed Cyrusi Explains
One is the birthday you celebrate according to the Gregorian calendar. The other is your birthday according to the Parsi calendar. And no, this is not simply a case of celebrating on two random dates because you wanted two cakes.
The reason lies in the way the traditional Parsi calendar works. The Shahenshahi calendar, followed by a large section of India’s Parsi community, has 12 months, each consisting of 30 days. These are followed by five additional days known as the Gathas. That gives the calendar 365 days. The catch is that there is no leap day added every four years, as there is in the Gregorian calendar.
Because of that small difference, the Parsi calendar slowly drifts against the Gregorian one. It moves backwards by roughly one day every four years. So a date that corresponds to your Parsi birthday today will not necessarily fall on exactly the same Gregorian date years later. Think of it as your birthday refusing to sit still.
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Why The Parsi Calendar Keeps Shifting
There is another layer to this. Zoroastrians follow different calendar systems, including the Shahenshahi, Kadmi and Fasli calendars. This is also why Parsi New Year, or Navroz, can fall on different dates depending on the calendar being followed.
So when Nauheed Cyrusi spoke about Parsis having two birthdays, she was not just sharing a cute community fact. She was opening a tiny window into the way the Parsi community understands time itself.
Also Read: Exclusive: Nauheed Cyrusi Is A Proud Member Of The Curly Tales Community!
Watch the full Tere Gully Mein episode on the Curly Tales App and on the Curly Tales YouTube Channel.
Cover Image Courtesy: Internal
FAQs
Why do Parsis have two birthdays?
Parsis can celebrate their birthday according to the Gregorian calendar as well as their traditional Parsi calendar.
What is the Parsi calendar?
The Parsi calendar is a Zoroastrian calendar system. The Shahenshahi calendar has 12 months of 30 days each, followed by five additional days called the Gathas.
Why does the Parsi birthday date change?
The Shahenshahi calendar does not add a leap day every four years. Because of this difference, its dates gradually shift against the Gregorian calendar.
Is Parsi New Year celebrated on the same date every year?
Not necessarily. Navroz can fall on different dates depending on which Zoroastrian calendar is being followed.
