# Persian Festivals

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## Yalda Night

The celebration of light and darkness

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### Historical Roots

Yalda Night is an ancient Persian festival celebrated on the longest and darkest night of the year, which is exactly the beginning of winter in Persian calendar (around December 20-21). Yalda is a Syriac word meaning “birth” and it refers to the Sun God, Mithra. Mithra is the Zoroastrian deity of light, truth, and justice.

The festival marks the triumph of light over darkness, as the night of the winter solstice symbolises the rebirth of the sun and longer days ahead. Ancient Persians believed that Yalda Night is one minute longer than any other nights of the year. That is why it is called the longest night of the year. The following day, sunlight represented victory over darkness, and it was considered an auspicious start to year’s winter season.

### Celebration

Gathering
Feasting
Reading

Yalda Night is celebrated as a cultural event that emphasizes the importance of family, tradition, and optimism for the future. It is a time for family gatherings, feasting, and storytelling.

So the night starts with family members gathering together and eating seasonal fruits and nuts. The most iconic fruits of Yalda are watermelon, symbolising the warmth of summer and protection against winter illness, and pomegranate symbolises cycle of life and the sunrise.

After feasting, families read the poems of Hafez, famous Persian poet, to seek guidance or inspiration through Fal-e Hafez, which is a form of bibliomancy.

Ask not the monk to give thee Truth’s pure gold.

He hides no riches ’neath his lying guise ;

Hafez

### Activities

Reading myths

As mentioned before, storytelling is a cherished part of Yalda Night, and Persian myths and legends are perfect for sparking children’s imaginations.

What you’ll need:

1. Shahnameh, which is a long epic poem that is mainly mythical and recounts the historical past of the Persian Empire.

What to do:

Read one of the stories of this book to your kids and let them have a feast of fruits while enjoying one of the literature’s masterpieces.

Creating fruit platter

Fruit platters are a highlight of Yalda night, especially with watermelons and pomegranates.

What you’ll need:

1. Sliced watermelon, Pomegranates seeds, oranges and persimmons.
2. Cookie cutters.

What to do:

Help the kids to cut the fruit into stars, hearts, or other shapes using cutters. Arrange them on a platter to create a festive design.