What are the customs of Yalda night? | The history of Yalda night | What does Yalda night symbolize? | Yalda night in different cities of Iran | Yalda night in poems of poets
The date of Yalda night in 1403
Yalda night begins at sunset on the last day of autumn, i.e. December 30th, and continues until the morning of January 1st.
The date of Yalda night It changes between December 20, 21 and 22.
Yalda night 1403 – 2024 what saturday is it
Yalda night of 1403 coinciding with on friday December 30 is equal to December 21 of the year 2024 is
The ancient history of Iran, the earth is decorated with various customs and ceremonies, each of which has its roots in one of the authentic Iranian beliefs and shows the rich civilization and culture of this land and the culture and originality of the people of this land to the world.
Every year’s events that date back to thousands of years ago, from the thirteen-day Nowruz to the celebrations that are held in honor of every month to Charanbash Suri and Yalda nightTheir footprints have been engraved in the history of this border since ancient times.
Yalda night or nightfall It is one of these occasions every year, and Iranians everywhere in the world prepare themselves for its ceremony on the last day of autumn (December 30) in order to welcome this glorious night in the last moments of autumn, i.e. the sunset of December 30. And on this longest night of the year, they stay awake until late at night and connect the last point of autumn to the first line of winter every year by holding the chelehsi ceremony.
What are the customs of Yalda night?
For the night of Yalda, which starts from the last autumn sunset and lasts until the dawn of the first winter day, there are various symbolic customs and traditions that have acquired their own color and flavor among the different tribes and cultures of Iran.
Sitting around the fire or under the chair is one of the traditions that has existed since ancient Iran because fire is sacred and Iranians believed that it would keep the devil and evil spirits away from them.
Another interesting custom is reading and telling stories, one of the elders of the family starts narrating old sweet stories from the Shahnameh, etc., which is especially attractive to children.
Hafez’s horoscope Another enduring tradition is the Yalda night, which is extremely popular among men and women, young and old. It is customary for family members to gather together and the head of the family opens Divan Hafez and reads their fortunes.
Yalda dinner table
The famous table of Yalda night has doubled the charm and beauty of this night. A colorful table that is decorated with various fruits that are a staple of Yalda, and it is red and refreshing.
Iranian ladies with good taste use all their creativity to decorate and arrange the Yalda night table and often try to give the table a traditional look originating from the rich culture of Iran.
Yalda dinner table It is full of symbols and auspiciousness, from pomegranate, which is a symbol of fertility, blessing and happiness, to watermelon, which is a symbol of the sun, summer heat and blessing, and nuts and snacks such as walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, dried berries, etc., all special. The table is tonight.
Autumn fruits, dried fruit leaves and various sweets are usually seen in the corners of the Yalda night table.
Background and history of Yalda night
Yalda is an old word that in Syriac – one of the ancient languages of Christians – means birth and childbirth, and it seems that it was first brought to Iran by Christian immigrants from Rome.
Yalda night is also called Cheleh night, since the first forty days of winter begins on the first day of Diy.
There is no information about the date of the first celebration of Yalda night, but some believe that this celebration dates back to about 7 thousand years ago and was recorded in the Iranian calendar during the period of Darius I.
What does Yalda night symbolize?
As we all know, in the autumn season until the beginning of winter, the nights get longer, but from the beginning of winter, the days gradually get longer and the nights get shorter, that’s why Yalda night is considered the longest night of the year.
Since the ancient Iranians considered day, brightness, heat and light to be the symbol of God and night, darkness and cold to be the symbol of the devil, they gathered together on the pretext of the victory of light over darkness on the first night of winter and on the pretext of the shortening of the nights. And they were happy.
Some also believe that Yalda night is the birth or return of Mitra (Seal), which is known among Iranians as a symbol of love and affection, covenant, honesty and the sun.
Yalda night in different cities of Iran
Yalda night in different cities of Iran corresponds to the ethnic traditions of each region and sometimes special ceremonies are added to it.
For example, in Khorasan, the night of Yalda is also known as Chelehanshi or Cheragh Night. In this night, the ceremony of clapping hands is held, and on their Haftsin table, foods such as lebu and special sweets called kaf stand out.
People of Hamedan take fortune-telling on Yalda night, and in Shiraz, Hafez fortune-telling and Kaluk fortune-telling are more famous.
Narration in Golestan province, Shabbat Zindaari among the Kermanis, the tradition of the Behera bowl in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad provinces, and the divination of watermelon pus in Gilan are all among the interesting traditions of Shab Cheleh in different parts of Iran.
Yalda night in poems of poets
It is enough to express the importance and place of Yalda night in the culture and art of Iran, which great poets have mentioned many times in their poems.
Hazrat Hafez mentions Yalda in his poems as follows:
“The silence of the heart is not a place for others to talk
Demon Chu goes out and becomes an angel
The talk of the rulers of darkness is the night of Yalda
Let the light of the sun come out.”
And Saadi considers the condition of blowing the morning of Sadiq to be the end of the Yalda night and sings:
“Anyone who is not a total should not be watched
Don’t go alone if you travel with friends
Do not blow the wind of comfort on the heart of the beard
The morning of Sadeq did not come until the night of Yalda.
And Ferdowsi mentions the night of Yalda as the night of Urmuzd, and referring to Sarvar in this night, he says:
“The night of Ormazd came from January
You can’t say it and take it away.
Yalda is depicted in Khajovi Kermani’s poems like this:
“Mehr Chu’s seal was enameled by trickery
“My month, Talaat dawned from the night of Yalda.”
And Obeid Zakani uses Yalda night to describe his lover:
“O Lal, you are fond of the famous charm
He is famous for being a jerk
It is our problem with Zelf in your story
like the long-known Yalda night”
Vahshey Bafghi lamented Yar Yar in Hijran and compared it to the night of Yalda that:
“Sham Hijran, you can take it anywhere
May Yalda win thousands of nights before and after.
And Parvin Etisami sings like this:
“Zinja dawn caravan is far away
A candle should be lit this Yalda night.
Source Link