What is Yalda Night or Chelleh (In English)
𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙄𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙄𝙍𝘼𝙉𝙄𝘼𝙉 𝙁𝙀𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙇, 𝙎𝙃𝘼𝘽-𝙀-𝙔𝘼𝙇𝘿𝘼
Yalda Night or Shab-e-Yalda or Shab-e-Chelle, a Persian festival dating back several millennia, is celebrated every year in the Northern Hemisphere on December 20th or 21st, to prepare for the occurence of the winter solstice, when the night is the longest and darkest, and to make oneself better equipped for the ensuing three months of the severe cold season. Technically speaking, it is the last day of autumn. From the next morning, the sunlight hours gradually lengthen, and the nights get shorter and shorter, as the months pass by. After Nooruz, this festival is considered the second most important one in Iran.
The winter solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere when the Sun changes its declination in the ecliptical plane, that is, it tilts farthest from the North Pole. This is the day of the year when the Sun has declined towards its southernmost location. The Arctic Circle gets enveloped in darkness, and consequently experiences the longest night of the year. Because the Sun is positioned at the lowest point during a winter solstice, our shadows appear extremely stretched during midday. Simultaneously, at the same time of the year, a summer solstice takes place in the Southern Hemisphere, with the South Pole leaning closest to the Sun, thereby engulfing the Antarctic Circle with sunlight even at midnight.
Yalda in Syrian language means "birth". The festival is so named because it marks the birthday of Mithra (Meher Yazad), the Zoroastrian deity presiding over sunlight. So, literally the name indicates the birth (or brightening, or increasing) of the power and potentiality of the light and warmth of the Sun, to help overcome the freezing chill of the bitterly cold and unpleasant winters experienced in Iran.
It is believed that the dark forces of Nature are at their wickedest best on this night, and to counter their maleficent influence, and seek refuge from the darkness outside, family and friends gather indoors in large groups, stay awake all night chanting prayers, reading poems, singing, dancing and making merry. The revelry continues till the dawn of the following day, when the Sun triumphantly appears on the horizon. Yalda Night is all about celebrating the victory of Good over Evil, and rejoicing in the thought that darkness (the lengthy night) will shortly be overcome with light (the birth of the Sun God, Mithra).
Since sunrise is associated with crimson, orange and yellow hues, the food items chosen to decorate the traditional "korsi" (a low table with burning embers kept underneath, to keep warm those seated around it) are generally of glowing red colour, like the pomegranate (representing fertility), sliced watermelon (standing for health and well-being), persimmon (an orangish red fruit resembling the tomato) and medlar (a brownish colour apple-shaped fruit), to symbolise the brilliance of the rising Sun and the shades with which the sky is painted at daybreak. Apart from this, there is "ajeel", which is a combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruits (all epitomizing riches, opulence and abundance), on which the participants keep munching throughout the night.
The Irani people are known to relish anything that is sweet in taste. Therefore the celebration would not be complete without the preparation of the traditional "baslogh", a soft starchy confection made from ground cinnamon, pistachios, almonds, rosewater and saffron, and lavishly garnished with rose petals. The table is laid with numerous other sweetmeats and delicacies, too.
As the night progresses, the elders in the gathering pick up a book of Hafeez's mystical renderings. The younger ones, in turns, are asked to make a wish, and simultaneously the said book is opened randomly. The poem on that particular page is then read aloud, and is supposed to foretell the future happenings in the life of that youth, atleast for the next year. An elocutionary senior among the group may even opt to recite the verses of Saadi, Rumi, Omar Khayyam and Firdowsi.
Sadly enough, we, the Parsees of India, have no clue whatsoever about this meaningful and very significant Iranian festival, which our ancestors used to celebrate every year with gusto and religiosity, in ancient Iran. The Christians have been inspired by this historic event to similarly celebrate Christmas, which falls around the same time of the year.
Let us restart the practice of devoutly extolling, glorifying and observing this ancient Eurasian festival that will help us connect to our roots.
~Yezdi H.
Yalda Night or Shab-e-Yalda or Shab-e-Chelle, a Persian festival dating back several millennia, is celebrated every year in the Northern Hemisphere on December 20th or 21st, to prepare for the occurence of the winter solstice, when the night is the longest and darkest, and to make oneself better equipped for the ensuing three months of the severe cold season. Technically speaking, it is the last day of autumn. From the next morning, the sunlight hours gradually lengthen, and the nights get shorter and shorter, as the months pass by. After Nooruz, this festival is considered the second most important one in Iran.
The winter solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere when the Sun changes its declination in the ecliptical plane, that is, it tilts farthest from the North Pole. This is the day of the year when the Sun has declined towards its southernmost location. The Arctic Circle gets enveloped in darkness, and consequently experiences the longest night of the year. Because the Sun is positioned at the lowest point during a winter solstice, our shadows appear extremely stretched during midday. Simultaneously, at the same time of the year, a summer solstice takes place in the Southern Hemisphere, with the South Pole leaning closest to the Sun, thereby engulfing the Antarctic Circle with sunlight even at midnight.
Yalda in Syrian language means "birth". The festival is so named because it marks the birthday of Mithra (Meher Yazad), the Zoroastrian deity presiding over sunlight. So, literally the name indicates the birth (or brightening, or increasing) of the power and potentiality of the light and warmth of the Sun, to help overcome the freezing chill of the bitterly cold and unpleasant winters experienced in Iran.
It is believed that the dark forces of Nature are at their wickedest best on this night, and to counter their maleficent influence, and seek refuge from the darkness outside, family and friends gather indoors in large groups, stay awake all night chanting prayers, reading poems, singing, dancing and making merry. The revelry continues till the dawn of the following day, when the Sun triumphantly appears on the horizon. Yalda Night is all about celebrating the victory of Good over Evil, and rejoicing in the thought that darkness (the lengthy night) will shortly be overcome with light (the birth of the Sun God, Mithra).
Since sunrise is associated with crimson, orange and yellow hues, the food items chosen to decorate the traditional "korsi" (a low table with burning embers kept underneath, to keep warm those seated around it) are generally of glowing red colour, like the pomegranate (representing fertility), sliced watermelon (standing for health and well-being), persimmon (an orangish red fruit resembling the tomato) and medlar (a brownish colour apple-shaped fruit), to symbolise the brilliance of the rising Sun and the shades with which the sky is painted at daybreak. Apart from this, there is "ajeel", which is a combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruits (all epitomizing riches, opulence and abundance), on which the participants keep munching throughout the night.
The Irani people are known to relish anything that is sweet in taste. Therefore the celebration would not be complete without the preparation of the traditional "baslogh", a soft starchy confection made from ground cinnamon, pistachios, almonds, rosewater and saffron, and lavishly garnished with rose petals. The table is laid with numerous other sweetmeats and delicacies, too.
As the night progresses, the elders in the gathering pick up a book of Hafeez's mystical renderings. The younger ones, in turns, are asked to make a wish, and simultaneously the said book is opened randomly. The poem on that particular page is then read aloud, and is supposed to foretell the future happenings in the life of that youth, atleast for the next year. An elocutionary senior among the group may even opt to recite the verses of Saadi, Rumi, Omar Khayyam and Firdowsi.
Sadly enough, we, the Parsees of India, have no clue whatsoever about this meaningful and very significant Iranian festival, which our ancestors used to celebrate every year with gusto and religiosity, in ancient Iran. The Christians have been inspired by this historic event to similarly celebrate Christmas, which falls around the same time of the year.
Let us restart the practice of devoutly extolling, glorifying and observing this ancient Eurasian festival that will help us connect to our roots.
~Yezdi H.
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