How Will You Celebrate Yalda Night?
During the month of December, many Christian countries around the world prepare for Christmas. Streets, homes, and businesses are adorned with festive decore, and lights and glittery ornaments decorate trees and outdoor spaces, and classic carols play everywhere. For Persians, this time marks the celebration of another ancient event: Yalda night, or, Shab-e-Yalda.
The word ‘yalda’ means birth. Yalda night is both a beautiful and ancient Iranian celebration which marks the longest and darkest night of the year or winter solstice. Yalda night usually falls on the 20th or 21st of December according to the Georgian calendar. According to the Iranian calender, Yalda night is the last evening of autumn day, or, the night which opens the initial forty-day period of the three-month winter.
Why do Persians celebrate Yalda Night?
This celebration comes from a time when the majority of Persians were followers of Zoroastrianism, prior to the advent of Islam. It was the belief that evil forces were dominant on the longest night of the year and that the next day belonged to the Lord of Wisdom, Ahura Mazda.
This night has been used in many Iranian poems to describe a dark evening in which one becomes separated from a loved one, creating loneliness and waiting. Other countries such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan are also celebrating this night. Since days get longer and nights get shorter in winter, Iranians celebrate the last night of autumn as the renewal of the sun and the victory of light over darkness.
Traditional Celebrations During Yalda Night
Yalda Night is celebrated with the enjoyment of delicious foods. Iranians eat nuts, watermelons, and pomegranates on this special night and share the last remaining fruits from summer together. Fruits of Shab-e-Yalda have symbolic significance as well. Some believe that watermelon symbolizes the sun by its spherical shape while others believe that eating watermelon keeps one safe from being hurt by winter diseases. Pomegranate is also a symbol of birth and its bright red seeds symbolize the glow of life.
Reading poems from Divan-e-Hafiz (Fal-e Hafiz) is an another tradition of Yalda Night. Each member of a family or a group of friends make a wish-while keeping it as a secret- and randomly opens the book. It is customary that the eldest member of the family or friends then reads the randomly selected poem loudly. Since the poem is believed to be the interpretation of the wish and the way it would come true, it is fun to interpret the poem and guess the wishes others make. In this way, the last and the longest night of autumn comes to an end happily and the first great day of winter begins.
How Do You Celebrate Yalda Night?
Yalda Night is a beloved tradition and is regarded by many Persians as one of the most beloved holidays. In 2008, Shab-e Yalda was officially added to Iran's List of National Treasures in a special ceremony.
Now, how do you celebrate the evening? Have you added any special traditions to your evening with family or friends? Whatever they may be, we want to hear about them! Share them with us on social media and post your photos or videos. Tag #YaldaNightWithNICArt and we will share them on our Instagram Feed for our followers!