Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. These were then enjoyed by everyone gathered around the korsi, or a fireplace. For the 2019 Iranian film originally titled Yalda, see. state. for the night of yalda in south Khorasan family are gathering to provide a kind of sweet called KafBikh. Then he cuts the melon, and the watermelon and gives everyone a share. Because Shab-e Yalda is the longest and darkest night, it has come to symbolise many things in Persian poetry; separation from a loved one, loneliness and waiting. God) are amongst the best known in the Western world. Prior to ban of alcohol, drinking wine was also part of the celebration. گردهمايی برگزار می The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries. Disorder and chaos ruled for a day and eventually order was جشن های شبانه ای [rs 2], The longest and darkest night of the year is a time when friends and family gather together to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafez) until well after midnight. [5] These items and more are commonly placed on a korsi, which people sit around. These people Centuries later, during the Achaemenid era, Mithra became a principal deity, equal in rank to Ahura Mazda (the god of all goodness) and Anahita (goddess of water and fertility). گذشتهبرگزار می In the film, a young woman convicted of murder pleads for the daughter of the victim to grant her forgiveness and save her from the death penalty. تولد ميترا که از Bon fires are made; dances are performed that resemble crop Fires would be burnt all night to ensure the defeat of the forces of Shab-e Yalda was officially added to Iran's List of National Treasures in a special ceremony in 2008. In the third century various dates, from almost the entire Christian Church agreed to that date, which coincided, It is As Jews, we, too, celebrated Shab-e-Yalda, and gathered together with friends and family on that long night. شب چله يا شب يلدا The cutting symbolizes the removal of sickness and pain from the family. KafBikh is a kind of traditional sweet in Khorasan in Iran specially in the city of Gonabad. The Cult of the Sun was first introduced to Iran thousands of years ago by migrant Aryans. Candles and lamps گفته می شود Today "Shab e Cheleh" is merely a social occasion, when Forty days before the next Persian festival ‘Jashn e Sadeh’, this night has been celebrated in countless cultures for thousands of years. Christian refugees into the Sassanin Empire and it is very likely that these These superstitions, however, are primarily associated with consumption. family and friends get together for fun and merriment. chased away the spirits of darkness. More substantial fare for the night's feast include eggplant stew with plain saffron-flavored rice, rice with chicken, thick yogurt, and halva (saffron and carrot brownies). von Harnack, Adolph (1905). prepared and prayers are performed. Fires would be burnt all night to ensure the defeat of the forces of Ahriman (principle Evil). رنگارنگ جز [citation needed] In Tabriz, the most populous city in Iranian Azerbaijan, parents send some special foods such as kofte tabrizi, nuts, special gifts, sweets, and well-arranged fruit baskets to their daughter and her husband. As the longest night of the year, the Eve of Yalda (Shab-e Yalda) is also a turning point, after which the days grow longer. Iranian celebrate Yalda since thousand years: the tradition consists in meeting around a table, and a tablecloth, “Sofreh “, on whom are arranged candles, and fruits with a red color heart as pomegranate and watermelon. essential for the protection of winter crops. Many of During the Yalda night one of the main fruits eaten is pomegranates. گويند ؛ جشنی که [rs 2], After dinner the older individuals entertain the others by telling them tales and anecdotes. In Iran, the winter solstice has been celebrated for centuries and it is called Shab-e yalda, which refers to the birthday or rebirth of the sun. Our keynote speaker, Professor Ahmad Sadri from Lake Forest College, discussed the meaning and cross-cultural roots of Yalda. [rs 2], Activities common to the festival include staying up past midnight, conversation, drinking, reading poems out loud, telling stories and jokes, and for some dancing. طريق به روم رسيد day of the Persian month Azar is the longest night of the year, when the The term Yaldais used interchangeably with ‘Shab e Cheleh’, a Zoroastrian celebration of Winter Solstice around December 21st. On the longest night of the year, Iranians all over the world celebrate the triumph of Mithra, the Sun God, over darkness in the ancient festival of Shab-e Yalda (which translates to “Night of Birth”). Eating garlic on this night protects one against pains in the joints. The Iranian Jews, who are amongst the oldest inhabitants of the country, in Williams & Norgate. اروپائيان آن را This night with Evil at its zenith is considered unlucky. Though it is not even an official holiday, Yalda still stands head and shoulders above some other ancient traditions. ايرانيان سی ام - Courtesy of Massoume Price. “Yalda means birth and it refers to the birth of Mitra; the mythological goddess of light. Sweet breads are baked in shape of humans and There are also very similar festivals in Later he became known as the God of creation and Light, from which we have the English word day (the period of light in 24 hours). Photo credit: Ben Mirzaei. In Zoroastrian tradition the longest and darkest night of the year was a particularly inauspicious day, and the practices of what is now known as "Shab-e Chelleh/Yalda" were originally customs intended to protect people from evil (see dews) during that long night, at which time the evil forces of Ahrimanwere imagined to be at their peak. - Courtesy of Art Arena, UK. dried fruits, nuts, seeds and fresh winter fruits are consumed. The king dressed in white would change was imported by Emperor Heliogabalus into Rome and Sol was made god of the Despite the Islamic alcohol ban in Iran, many continue to include home-made alcoholic drinks in their celebrations. A brazier with hot coals is placed under the table. که همراه با Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. One of the most ancient Persian festivals, Shab-e-Yalda (Yalda Night) is celebrated by Iranians around the world on December 21 in honor of the Winter Solstice. of dried and fresh fruits is reminiscence of the ancient feasts to celebrate Also known as Shab-e Chelleh, Yalda is an Iranian celebration of the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. An association with the 40-day "chella" period is also preserved amongst Iranian Azerbaijanis and the people of the Azerbaijan Republic, who call the festival Çillə Gecəsi چیلله گئجه‌سی and which likewise refers to the beginning of the first 40 days of winter. Masters and servants reversed roles. decorated with greenery, using palms with 12 shoots as a symbol of the the rituals and traditions of the pagan festivals were incorporated into the [rs 1] In the 10th century, Al-Biruni mentions the mid-year festival (Maidyarem Gahanbar) that ran from 11-15 Dae. It is believed that one should not divine by the Dīvān of Hafez more than three times, however, or the poet may get angry. برجای A brazier with hot coals is placed under the table. Traditions: In the evening of Shab-e Yalda bonfires are lit outside, while inside the home, family and friends gather in a night-long vigil around the korsi, a low, square table covered with a thick cloth overhanging on all sides. Shab-e Yalda (“Yalda night” Persian: شب یلدا‎) or Shab-e Chelleh (“night of forty”, Persian: شب چله‎)is an Iranian[2] festival celebrated on the “longest and darkest night of the year,” Yalda is a winter solstice celebration, The longest and darkest night of the year is a time when friends and family gather together to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafez) until well after midnight. They The other name of the festival, 'Yaldā', is ultimately a borrowing from Syriac-speaking Christians. Razi's theory has a significant following on the Internet, but while Razi's documentation has been academically accepted, his adduction has not. Since the There would be feasts, acts of charity and a number of deities honoured and prayers performed to ensure the total victory of the sun that was essential for the protection of winter crops. In Iran today, despite of the advent of Islam and Muslim rituals, Shab-e Yalda is still celebrated widely. usual order of the year was suspended. Yalda is a Syriac word and means birth (tavalod and meelaad are from the same origin). Parthians, Persians etc.) interchangeably. گفت و شنود و خوردن According to tradition, people gather together on the longest night of year to protect each other from evil, burning fires to light their way through the darkness and performing charitable acts. سرخ فام به اميد with Winter Solstice and the festivals, Sol Invicta and Saturnalia. At Tagh-e Bustan too, Ahura Mazda is again conferring the royal diadem upon Ardeshir II. In Khorasan, there is a belief that whoever eats carrots, pears, pomegranates, and green olives will be protected against the harmful bite of insects, especially scorpions. The Persians adopted their annual renewal festival from the Babylonians and incorporated it into the rituals of their own Zoroastrian religion. The red symbolizing the fire and the sun is … [rs 4] Sufism's Chella, which is a 40-day period of retreat and fasting,[rs 11] is also unrelated to winter solstice festival. However, I’m also a naturalist in the sense that I observe natural phenomenon and I … Yalda is viewed traditionally as the victory of light over dark, and the birthday of the sun god Mithra. closed. of the Sun. "Celebrities urge fans to celebrate Yalda with no gatherings in COVID-19 era", "Performing Reality in the Iranian Courtroom-Style Drama Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness – Chaz's Journal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yaldā_Night&oldid=996770551, Observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar, Articles containing Persian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, December 20, 21 or 22 (night of the Winter Solstice), This page was last edited on 28 December 2020, at 14:50. , on 21st December London ( England ) will see only seven hours and 49 minutes of daylight return! Drinks in their sun shab-e yalda traditions concept of light over dark, and two winter. The melon, and dried fruit - the waiting is over, shines. Night-Grazing ; eating nuts and pomegranates, and the nights shorter, this year on. 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