“Yalda Night” is a typical Iranian holiday celebrated on the longest night of the year, December 21st. It marks the transition from autumn to winter throughout the northern hemisphere and coincides with the day we call "winter solstice”. From that moment on, the days begin to "get longer", and for this very reason Yalda represents the victory of light over darkness. This is an ancient tradition, dating back more than 3000 years ago, and then taken up by the Hindu, Mithraist and Zoroastrian religions, which celebrate thebirth of Mithras, the god of the sun and light.
HOW IT DOES
During the “Yalda night” specific foods are served: dehydrated fruit (for example raisins, apricots, apples, plums, peaches, which have been dried in the summer),dried fruitand fresh fruit (watermelons, persimmons, pomegranate, apples, grapes, oranges, lemons). It is interesting to note that watermelon is not a typical summer fruit, but families keep 1 or 2 from the summer for this great celebration.
There are several typical dishes includingFesenjan(a stew made with chicken, walnuts, and pomegranate sauce), theAnar Polo(rice with pomegranate, chicken and pistachios), the pomegranate soup and theKalam Polo(rice with cabbage, meat and spices). All this food is displayed on the table to demonstrate that society is not intimidated by the cold days that will follow, but rather is ready and prepared to enter the winter season.
YALDA IN THE VARIOUS CITIES
Coinciding with the onset of winter, Yalda is also an opportunity to celebrate the end of the autumn harvest season andpray for prosperityof the following year. Different areas of Iran have their own traditions linked to this holiday.
In the province ofKhorasan, for example, the future husband and parents show up at the home of the future wife and her family with a large basket full of fruit, nuts, sweets, clothes, jewels, as a gift. Everyone then spends the evening enjoying good food, music and dancing.
READING HAFEZ
A tradition common to the various regions is to dedicate part of the evening to reading some of the works of the Persian poet most loved by the Iranian people:Hafez. Iranians believe that by randomly opening the book of poems of such a poet, the passage that will be read will give information about the future.
CURIOSITY'
Yalda night is also an opportunity for relatives and friends to meet up, to remember past events and share laughter, play musical instruments, sing anddance in company. Nowadays it is an event with a mainly social connotation, but in ancient times it was a way toorenjoy the sun, seen as a deity by many cultures: Even after what seemed to be an endless night, the sun rose again over the horizon.
Emanuela Scarsato
