The grandmother would sit her children and grandchildren around the chair and pour handfuls of nuts in their hands. This is an old story for all Iranians long night of the year It means Yalda. Every year at the end of autumn, the residents of the house are lively to celebrate the Yalda night in the best way. The customs of this night have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. It is interesting to know that Yalda Night has been registered as a cultural and spiritual heritage of Iran and is on the way to world registration. If this question arises for you, why did we celebrate the beginning of the winter season since ancient times and where are the roots of these customs? With this article in Flytoday tourism magazine be with us.
What night is Yalda night?
Yalda night is one of the oldest festivals of Iranians, like Nowruz and Syrian Wednesday, which our ancestors used to celebrate on the last night of autumn for thousands of years. Yalda night begins with the sunset on the last day of autumn, i.e. 30 Azar, and ends with the sunrise on the 1st of December. Date of Yalda night It is equal to 30 Azar every year.
The history of Yalda night
Yalda night has a long history and it is not possible to determine the exact date for it. Some archaeologists consider the Yalda night to be seven thousand years long; Because on the pottery before the historical period, engravings of the symbols of the months such as Aries and Scorpio have been seen. But if we want to say when Yalda night was recognized, we can point to about 500 years before Christ. Yalda was an event recorded in the Iranian calendar during the era of Darius I, and many rituals were held to celebrate this night during different periods.
Why do we celebrate Yalda night?
There is an old belief among Iranians that the demons of darkness are more present on the longest night of the year than before. For this reason, they stayed awake all night and lit a fire to drive away the demons. These gatherings became customs and rituals; Every year, people gather together on the last night of autumn and enjoy colorful food, dancing and stomping, and stories. gThey bring the night to the morning And this belief is the reason why we celebrate Yalda night.
In ancient times, it was also customary to build a fire on the longest night of the year and sit around it and live the night. At that time, the fire was a symbol of burning autumn sorrows. This beautiful celebration still has its own place after thousands of years and is celebrated as Yalda night or Chele night to honor the blessing, health and abundance of blessings.
Why is Yalda night the longest night of the year?
Yalda is the oldest Iranian custom and is celebrated right at the time of the winter solstice. The winter solstice means that the sun is less in the sky, as a result of which the days become shorter and the nights become longer. Of course, this longness is not very noticeable and maybe only 1 minute is different from other nights. The cities located in the southeast of Iran have the shortest and the cities located in the northwest of the country have the longest Yalda night.
What does Yalda mean?
Yalda is derived from a Syriac word that means birth. Ancient Iranians believed that the day after Yalda night, the days will be longer and at the beginning of winter, Mehr and Noor will be reborn and the earth will come alive. Of course, Abu Rihan Biruni considered Yalda night to be Milad Akbar and he meant the Milad of the Sun.T.
In popular language, this night is called Shab Chaleh. You should know that the ancient Iranians named two times of the year Chele for planning in livestock and agriculture matters. The summer season starts in July and the winter season starts in January. For this reason, Cheleh night refers to the longest night of the year and the beginning of winter, and this is the reason why Yalda night is called Yalda.
What should we do for Yalda night? | Yalda customs
Perhaps Yalda's philosophy is one of the important questions that occupy many of your minds. Since ancient times, Iranians used to gather on the longest night of the year and stay awake until morning and entertain themselves with various rituals. It was customary for all family members and relatives to gather around the fire or around the chair and spend the long night of Yalda with colorful foods, stories and mythological poems.
Saying goodbye to autumn is still done with many sweet customs and rituals. On this night, all family members meet again, buy Yalda night items, and colorful tablecloths are spread in all the houses. Yalda gift for newlyweds is one of the customs that is still popular among people. Here are some of the customs of this night:
Foods and rituals of Yalda night
Watermelon: Among all the fruits, watermelon has more respect and closeness on Yalda nights, because some believe that eating watermelon on Yalda night will keep you safe from colds throughout the winter.
Pomegranate: This fruit is an inseparable part of the Yalda night table among Iranians. Chele or Yalda night is known by the red color of the fruits and many people consider the red color to be the symbol of this night. Red pomegranate and watermelon are symbols of the sun this night.
Nuts: One of the foods that stand out on all Iranian tables on Yalda night is Yalda night nuts, which will be an exciting combination of dried fruits and colorful snacks.
Special sweets: Sweets have a special place in Iranian occasions, and basluq is considered one of the sweet winter foods that can be seen on Yalda tables.
Autumn fruits: The tables of all Iranians on Yalda night are full of fruits with autumn colors and smells. Some people dry summer grapes and bring them to the Yalda table along with oranges, tangerines, persimmons, watermelons and pomegranates.
Yalda night dishes: In different parts of Iran, special dishes are cooked and served on this night, and the two most popular ones are Ash Nasheh and Sabzi Plou with Fish.
Hafez fortune-telling and Shahnameh reading on Yalda night
One of the customs that has not been popular for a long time is reading stories and poetry on Yalda night. After renewing the visits, the family members ask the elders of the Majlis to read the poems and mythological stories for the gathering. This beautiful tradition gives a sincere atmosphere to the gathering and conveys interesting experiences of the fate of the main characters of the story to the family members. It is also customary for families to gather together and the elders of the gathering read and interpret Hafez's poems for them. The cold and long night of Yalda passes until midnight with the poetry of Hafez.
Interesting customs of Yalda night in Iranian cities
What distinguishes Iran from other countries is the diversity and extent of its cultures. For this reason, Yalda night is celebrated in each of Iran's cities with a special style. The color and smell of Yalda night is different in many parts of Iran. In order to better understand the atmosphere of each region in Iran, we will tell you some of their interesting customs and traditions.
East and West Azerbaijan
The Turkish-speaking people of Iran are very loyal to the tradition of celebrating Yalda night. So that they have been storing rare fruits in winter and autumn since months ago. They keep grapes, melons or watermelons in special conditions to be on their tables for Yalda night. Another thing they do on Yalda night is to send a Yalda table from the father to his daughter and son-in-law.
Mazandaran
To welcome the Yalda night, like Nowruz Eid, the Mazenis shake the house and prepare an elaborate dinner for their guests. There is another custom for the newlyweds of the family, that fish is sent to them on Yalda night. Mazeni believe that fish brings good and blessings to the new life of the bride and groom.
Guilan
The Gilaks have customs similar to those of the Maznis, in which the geographical proximity has not been unaffected. But the local people of Gilan prepare a delicious food called “Aukonus” to welcome the Yalda night. They pour water and parsley in a pot and keep it in a cool place and eat it along with angelica and salt on Yalda night. You can with Buying a flight ticket to Rasht Bring yourself to beautiful Gilan on Yalda night and see a part of the customs of the people of this country.
Qazvin
As you know, the various sweets of Qazvin province are famous, and Yalda evening tables are decorated with all kinds of homemade and local sweets. One of the old customs that has been passed down from generation to generation among the people of Qazvin is the story of Nene Sarma, which is told every year on Yalda night by family elders to young people.
Kurdistan
Kurds celebrate Yalda night with their local hospitality customs. Their warmth and hospitality along with the colorful tables creates an exciting combination. One of the most popular foods among Kurds on Yalda night is dolme with sengak bread. If you want to see some of the customs of the Kurdish people on this night Buying Sanandaj plane tickets Get yourself to Kurdistan.
Hamedan
One of the rituals registered as a cultural heritage in Hamadan city is fortune telling. In this tradition, during the Yalda night party, an elderly woman recites poems one after the other, and at the same time, a little girl puts a needle on a new and unstitched cloth. Those who are sitting in the assembly make an intention with each needle and consider the recited poem as the answer to their intention. If you travel to this city on Yalda night, you will definitely enjoy this beautiful custom along with Hamadan's sights.
Lorestan
The people of Lorestan give special excitement to Yalda night. On the longest night of the year, young people go on the roofs of their houses and throw shawls or scarves into the neighbor's house and ask them for nuts and snacks with local poems.
Yalda in other countries
You may have the impression that Yalda night or the celebration of entering winter is celebrated only in Iran. While there are other countries that celebrate the end of autumn and the beginning of winter with special customs. We introduce the countries for which the Yalda night celebration has a special ritual so that you can get acquainted with their customs.
Yalda night in Tajikistan
Tajik people are Farsi speaking and Yalda night has many fans among them. It is customary for Tajik people to bake and eat bread and sweets in the shape of animals on Chele night. Sprinkling wheat, divination and hanging leather from the ceiling are other customs of the people of this country.
Yalda night in Afghanistan
In the friendly and neighboring country of Afghanistan, the birth of the sun and the beginning of winter are celebrated in Badakhshan. The ceremonies of the Afghan people are very similar to the Yalda nights in Iran. Badakhshans are Tajiks and speak Farsi.
Yalda night in Pakistan
The people of this region worship and pray on Yalda night. A ritual called the winter bath is performed on this day, when men take a piece of bread and take a shower. After taking a traditional bath, they gather together and build a fire and dance and rejoice around it.
Exciting Yalda night in Africa
To welcome winter, Africans wear strange costumes in the shape of animals, demons and angels and dance and tap to their local music.
Yalda night in East Asian countries
On Yalda night, the Chinese brew a special tea and eat it with their rice dumplings. Koreans sweeten their dumplings with red beans and pour a special liquid around their houses to ward off evil spirits on this night. Japanese people fill their bathtubs with oranges on Yalda night, they believe that orange bath makes the body resistant to negative energy and disease.
How is your Yalda?
We tried to tell you some of the customs of the people on Yalda night and its historical roots. We also said that different rituals are held in different cities and regions on the longest night of the year. Many people spend Yalda night with their families Buying plane tickets, train ticket And even they go to their city in their own vehicle to celebrate this long night.
Now tell me what you do on the last day of autumn and which of the mentioned things you do.
Frequently asked questions about the Yalda night ceremony
When is Yalda night?
Yalda night celebration is held on the last day of autumn and the first night of winter.
What is the purpose of celebrating Yalda night?
There is an old belief among Iranians that the demons of darkness are more present on the longest night of the year than before. For this reason, they stayed awake all night and lit a fire to drive away the demons. These gatherings have become customs and ritualsd.
What are the customs of Yalda night?
In addition to setting the Yalda night table, they celebrate this night with a variety of traditional foods and special food for this night, and reciting Hafez, which is one of the other important traditions of Yalda.
What food should we cook for Yalda night?
On Yalda night, you can make special dishes for this night, such as pomegranate soup, pumpkin stew, pomegranate meatballs, and eggplant pomegranate stew.
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