In 2027 the three biggest saffron-gifting occasions of the year fall almost back to back: Ramadan begins around 8 February, Eid al-Fitr lands around 9–10 March, and Nowruz follows on 20–21 March. That is a single six-week stretch containing nearly the whole cultural gifting calendar — something that does not happen most years, and worth planning for if you buy or give saffron.
What are the 2027 dates?
| Occasion | Approximate date | Order by |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan begins | ~8 February 2027 | Late January |
| Eid al-Fitr | ~9–10 March 2027 | End of February |
| Nowruz | 20–21 March 2027 | Second week of March |
Islamic dates depend on the sighting of the moon and can shift by a day either way; Nowruz is fixed to the spring equinox and does not move.
Why is saffron the traditional gift for these?
For different reasons in each case, which is the interesting part.
During Ramadan, saffron is a cooking ingredient rather than a present — it goes into the sweets that break the fast. Sholeh zard, sheer yakh and kheer all lean on it, and households genuinely run through more saffron in that month than any other.
At Eid, it becomes a gift. It is the thing you bring to a house you are visiting, and it carries the right weight: expensive, useful, not personal enough to be awkward.
At Nowruz, saffron sits close to the haft-sin table and the new-year meal. The new year is a food holiday above all, and saffron rice is at the centre of it.
What should you actually buy for each?
- For Ramadan cooking: a larger jar. A household making sweets through the month will use several grams. The 5 g and 10 g jars are the sensible buy.
- For Eid gifting: the 1 gram crystal bottle or the Gift Duo. Small, beautiful, and the kind of thing people keep the bottle from.
- For Nowruz: anything that will be cooked with in the first week. Saffron rice, tahdig, sholeh zard.
When should you order?
Earlier than feels necessary. The compressed 2027 calendar means demand for good saffron will stack into February rather than spreading across two separate seasons, and premium single-origin lots are finite — there is one harvest a year. If you are buying for Eid, order in February. If you are buying for a household to cook through Ramadan, order in late January.
The short version
Ramadan from 8 February, Eid around 9–10 March, Nowruz on 20–21 March 2027. Larger jars for cooking, the crystal bottle for giving, and order two to three weeks ahead of each. Recipes for all of it are in the recipe collection.
Last updated August 2026.
