Every year on the 20th (or 21st) of December, the eve of the Winter Solstice, also known as the Northern Hemisphere's longest night of the year, is celebrated and referred to as "Yalda" (شب یلدا ).
Famous Iranian poet Sa'di (13th centuary) wrote in his Bustan: "The true morning will not come, until the Yalda Night is gone". It is the eve of the birth of Mithra, the Sun God, who represented light, kindness and power on earth. Families carry on holding traditional meetings on Yalda. Iranian media present particular indoctrination on this sacred night.
Yalda is a Syriac word meaning birth. Shabeh Yaldeh is also a turning point, after which the days are longer. The Cult of the Sun was first brought in to Iran thousands of years ago by immigrant Aryans. Mithra, the Sun God remained a strong symbol of worship throughout the following centuries. Centuries later, during the Achaemenid era, Mithra became a major deity, identical in rank to Ahura Mazda (the god of all goodness) and Anahita (goddess of water and fertility).
According to references from the bas-reliefs as Naqsh-e Rustam and Tagh-e Bustan in Sasanian times, Zoroastrianism became Iran's official religion, but Mithra's significance was not reduced. At Naqsh-e Rustam, Anahita bestows the royal diadem upon Nasri, the Sasanian King. At the installation of Ardeshir I, Ahura Mazda bestows this diadem to the new King.
Many years ago, before expanding the oil and gas consumption and modern heat producers, winter fruits (especially watermelons) were placed on the Korsi. A Korsi is a traditional piece of furniture similar to a very short table where heat is generated inside of it by means of coal, electricity or gas heaters and the family sits around it on the ground. However, Korsi is still used in some small cities and rural areas in Iran.
Shabeh Yalda is a night of enjoyment and celebration in Iran. Members of the family all gather at the eldest house and indulge in great food and winter fruits. (آجیل ایرانی) In families where a new marriage has occurred, the groom's family hosts a gathering on the first Yalda night after the wedding and invites the bride’s family and bestows gifts upon the new bride.
Iranians highly value their Yalda night traditions. It is truly astonishing the years after the inception of its celebration, the night of Yalda is still alive in the hearts of the Iranian people and new modern cultures and technologies have not been able to detach Persians from their beloved tradition.
Written by Amin & Mohammad
