Yalda night is one of the oldest Iranian festivals. Yalda night is called between the sunset of 30 Azar (the last day of autumn) to the sunrise on the 1st of Dey (the first day of winter). On Yalda Night Collection, Iranian families usually prepare and serve a sumptuous dinner as well as a variety of fruits, most commonly watermelon and pomegranate.
In this celebration, serving snacks, reading Shahnameh, storytelling by other family members to other family members, as well as divination with Hafez’s Divan are common.
For several thousand years, the last night of autumn, Yalda night, which is the darkest and longest night of the year, has been celebrated by Iranians, and various rituals and customs are spent together on this memorable night, a beautiful night in Different cities of Iran have customs and traditions.
Special customs of Yalda night from the past to the present
One of the most important nights of ancient Iran is Yalda night, which has been considered important by Iranians for a long time until today. To this day, not only has its value not diminished, but it has found a very special place among Iranians.
The customs of our country on Yalda Night Collection are different from other countries. Today, we want to tell you everything related to this dear and special night in the section of wet culture and Persian art, dear users.
Yalda Night is the longest night of the year, which is related to the time between sunset from December 20, the last day of autumn to sunrise on January 1, the first day of winter, which coincides with the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The night gets shorter and the day gets longer.
The reason for naming Yalda night
Yalda is derived from a Syriac word meaning birth. Syriac has been the common language of Christians, which has been obtained from research and study in the history Persian books of dictionaries.
The word Yalda is not exactly known how and when it entered the Persian language. They do Iran and due to the proximity of cultures, this Syriac word finds its way into Persian
An overview of the history of Yalda
As you know, the history and background of Yalda date back to ancient times, but it is not clear when exactly its date belongs. Many archaeologists proposed the date of Yalda night seven thousand years ago. persian Pottery has been cited since prehistoric times because animal motifs from Persian moons such as scorpions and rams have been hacked into these vessels. You can also observe the ritual related to Yalda night.
With all these interpretations, what is known as the night of Yalda dates back to 500 BC, and its date of entry into the official calendar of the ancient Iranians dates back to the time of Darius I, a calendar that includes the Egyptian and Babylonian calendars.
Traditions and rituals of Iranians on the night of Yalda
We knew that the last night of autumn, which is the longest and darkest night of the year, with the name of Yalda night, has gained a special place among Iranians, and the people of Iran will celebrate this long night together until dawn with all kinds of fun programs. They live happily so that the darkness and coldness and sorrow of the absence of the sun do not weaken their souls and they go to bed easily with a bright sky.
According to ancient traditions in the ancient religion, on the first day of January, the Persian kings laid down the royal throne and went to the desert in white clothes and sat on the white Persian carpet. The guards and gatekeepers of the royal palace and all the servants and enslaved people in The city were liberated and they lived like everyone else, and they were all in the same place, whether the chief or the king or the common people. Of course, the truth of this statement has not been proven, which may not be just a myth.
Yalda celebration is celebrated today by Iranians with relatives and families spending the night together so that family members gather on this important night and the elderly members of the family begin to tell ancient stories that eating watermelon, nuts, Persian pomegranate, and sweets. And different fruits are symbolic aspects of this dear night. Most of these fruits have many seeds and are considered a kind of contagious magic that human beings increase their fertility by resorting to their blessing. And watermelon and pomegranate are thought to represent the sun at night because of their red color.
Lighting a fire in Yalda
Since lighting a fire was a symbol of light and the sun in the eyes of the ancients, and some also knew it to remove the darkness and evil of the devil, so to escape the darkness and the forces of the devil, they lit a fire to create a warm circle together.
Storytelling and storytelling on Yalda
On the night of Yalda, families gather together and listen to the poetry and storytelling of the elders and elders. Unreal and small stories whose heroes are fairies, demons, and animals, and surely every child will hear them. It is pleasant and attractive.
Depending on the culture of each city or province, stories related to themselves are narrated. For example, the story of Hussein Kurd Shabestari is common among Azerbaijanis and the stories of Shahnameh are common among Khorasanians.
Hafez’s fortune-telling and Shahnameh’s reading on Yalda night
Reading Shahnameh and divination of Hafez on Yalda nights is another entertainment for Iranians and it has been customary for a long time that if the intention is to cast a spell on Hafez, the speaker of the parliament, who is supposed to speak, asks him to say this sentence. He should repeat to himself: O Hafez Shirazi, you are the discoverer of every secret, I want a fortune, comment on me…
And then open the court and recite the sonnet on the top right because the answer is divination. If they encounter the middle of the sonnet, the horoscope should be recited from the beginning of the sonnet, ie the back page. Positive content came out of the water, meaning a good omen, but if it was negative, it means it is bad.
Also, reading Shahnameh is one of the most inseparable programs of Yalda night, which has been common for a long time. There is a great chance that you have such a person in your family.
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