What is the difference between the Islamic calendar and the Iranian calendar?

Aren't most Persians Muslim? If so, don't they follow the Islamic calendar? They have a separate, Persian calendar? And if so, how is it different from the Muslim calendar?

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Answer by Desine (427)

Persian is an ethnicity, Islam is a religion. The Persian calendar is one of the oldest solar calendars, while the Islamic calendar (described in the Qu'ran) is a lunar calendar.

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Answer by nuttree (1596)

The Islamic calendar is lunar; the Persian calendar (like ours) is solar. Every year starts on the vernal equinox, and "leap days" are added to keep aligned with the seasons.

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