Yalda Night—The longest night of the year
The winter solstice has been an important event throughout history for different cultures. Yalda Night, also known as “Čella” (forty), is one of those celebrations. This Night is known as the longest night of the year.
Yalda Night, or Shabe Yalda in Persian (Farsi), is celebrated on the 21st of December. This is viewed as the victory of the light over the darkness and has been celebrated since ancient times. Yalda Night probably predates Zoroastrianism as well. On this night, family members gather around in the elders’ house to celebrate this night and enjoy a fine dinner.
After the dinner, it’s the elders who tell stories to the younger generation. One of the most notable activities is reading the poetry of Hafez, one of the top five Persian poets.
A variety of fruits are served on this night as well. The most notable one is watermelon, which is kept from the summer. It’s believed the consumption of the watermelon on this night protects them from the excessive heat in the summer. The other notable edibles besides watermelon are pomegranate, nuts, and dried fruits.
The Yalda night is a magical night associated with eating. In some areas it is believed that forty different edibles should be served.
One of the other activities of Yalda night involves young engaged men. They send a platter containing seven kinds of fruits and a variety of gifts to their fiancees on this night.
Some prefer to stay awake throughout the night until the sunrise. Besides the eating, telling stories, and reading poems, it’s the togetherness of the family that counts.
Yalda Night in Different Countries
This night is cherished in the region by the counties influenced by the Persian culture. Countries like Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and the Kurdistan region. The Yalda night is celebrated by the diaspora in Europe, Canada, and the United States of America.
Final words
Yalda isn’t just the longest night of the year. It is cherishing life’s simple pleasures and the togetherness of the family and loved ones. It is a celebration that has existed for thousands of years. The cultural event has been intertwined with different periods of history and will last for the future.
