TEHRAN – Held between August 21 and September 21 in different grape-growing regions of Iran, the feast of grapes is a traditional harvest celebration with roots believed to date back around 3,000 years.
When grapes reach full ripeness, the festival offers travelers an opportunity to experience Iran’s agricultural traditions, folk culture and living intangible heritage.
The celebration is particularly associated with Urmia and villages across West Azarbaijan province, where the traditional grape feast and Doushab-pazan –the preparation of grape juice and doushab, a thick grape syrup, have been registered as national intangible cultural heritage.
The tradition is believed to have originated in the ancient times as an expression of gratitude for the grape harvest. It later continued among Christian and Armenian communities in the region.
As mentioned by Visit Iran, the festival has been held in villages including Gerdabad, Digaleh, Resimanabad, Ghoshchi, Jamalabad and Goulan, with local communities maintaining their own customs.
Historically, grapes were regarded as a blessing, and some communities avoided eating the first grapes of the harvest before the ceremony. Care was also taken during harvesting to prevent grapes from falling to the ground, reflecting the belief that wasting the fruit was an act of ingratitude.
In the Urmia area, festivities traditionally take place around the vineyards and Lake Urmia. A central figure is the Il Bashi, or tribal leader, who opens the ceremony with words of thanks and a special prayer in Azarbaijani, followed by a Persian translation. Traditionally, the leader is accompanied by four women representing earth, water, air and fire, as well as a young boy and girl symbolizing the continuation of life.
The children distribute grapes to participants as a blessing. Prayers are offered for the protection of vineyards and crops from hail, storms and floods, followed by the traditional extraction of grape juice using specialized tools and equipment.
The festival then becomes a lively community celebration. Local wrestling competitions, Azerbaijani folk songs such as Qushmaja and Bayati, and traditional dances form part of the festivities. The collective Yali dance, performed by participants standing in a line, represents unity and togetherness.
Visitors may also encounter displays and competitions involving dried grapes and other products, including grape juice, vinegar and raisins.
For travelers, the feast of grapes provides more than a seasonal festival. It is an opportunity to enter the vineyards, meet local communities and observe traditions that connect agriculture with music, food, belief and collective memory. Held during the transition from summer to autumn, the celebration offers a distinctive way to discover the cultural landscape of northwestern Iran and the enduring traditions of the communities around Urmia.
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