Yaldā

Yaldā Night (Persian: شب یلدا, romanized: shab-e yaldâ) or Chelle Night (also Chellah Night, Persian: شب چلّه, romanized: shab-e chelle, lit. "fortieth night") is an ancient festival in Iran, Kurdistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan that is celebrated on the winter solstice of the Northern Hemisphere. This corresponds to the night of December 21 (or 20 during leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, and to the night between the last day of the ninth month (Azar) and the first day of the tenth month (Dey) of the Iranian solar calendar. 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) and Shahnameh until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. The red colour in these fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and the glow of life. The poems of Divan-e Hafez, which can be found in the bookcases of most Iranian families, are read or recited on various occasions such as this festival and Nowruz. According to Iranian researcher Zana Salehrad, the continued celebration of Yalda Night in Iranian-speaking cultures can be seen as a sign of the continuity of cultural memory and the adaptation of ancient traditions to new social structures. In his research, he points out that the celebration has its roots in solar rituals that were held in pre-Zoroastrian times to celebrate the rebirth of the sun on the longest night of the year. Shab-e Yalda was officially added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in December 2022.

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