There are many ayahs and hadith in the Islamic culture and religion that stress the importance of charity and kindness. People can help and support other members of the society any day. But since 1369 SH, 14th Esfand is called Nikukari or Charity Day, and the Charity Week begins from that day and lasts until 21st Esfand. Esfand is the final month of the Iranian year and is very close to New Year Celebration. 14th Esfand is also the day that Imam Khomeini Relief Comite was founded. It is a charitable organization founded to provide support for poor families to regain their financial stability.
During this week, the kind and generous people of Iran from different classes and with different ages, common people, politics, artists, athletes, and other personalities work together all over Iran to help other citizens, share their happiness with the poor. People gather money and present and gift them to those in need of them and their children. They make sure that children get new clothes, and there is enough and proper food in their homes so that they too can enjoy celebrating the New Year. They believe poverty should stop no families from having a Haft Seen, the traditional New Year decoration of the Iranian people.
Charity week is a celebration held to organize a gathering of money and gifts such as clothes, food all over the cities of Iran. The Imam Khomeini Relief Comite installs mobile and permanent booths and boxes. It is one of the most important organizations to help those in need of it, and organizes many large-scaled programs: providing loans, helping establish new jobs, teaching technical skills in fields like handicrafts, preparing dowries for young girls, supporting the women who need to support their family, supporting patients and providing medical help for them, cultural services, providing homes, repairing areas damaged by natural disasters, and many more.
Next to the presents and money gathered, this grand national celebration has other social and cultural functions such as spreading a sense of kindness and support of one’s kind and leads to a national unison.