One of the oldest Persian traditions is Yalda Night, also known as Shab e Chelleh, which is celebrated on the Winter Solstice. This year, Yalda Night is on December 21st. The holiday dates back to 502 BC as a gathering of friends and family to ward off the evil of darkness on the longest night and to welcome the new day and the beginning of longer days. In fact, Yalda means birth in the Syriac language. Chelleh means Fortieth and refers to the Persian Calendar, which is split into seasons each consisting of forty nights. There are other variations on the celebration’s name. It’s also known simply as Yalda and Shab e Yalda.
Yalda Traditions
As in the ancient times, Yalda is celebrated by visiting the home of the eldest family member and enjoying the night together telling jokes and reading from the ancient philosopher Hafez's book, Divan-(or Deewan)e-Hafiz(or Hafez). One tradition says that the celebrants must express a problem in their lives, then the elder opens the book and whichever poem is on that page is an answer to solving the problem!
Food is also an important part of the celebration! Many cities in Iran have special dishes that are served, like Khoreshe Fesenjoon, an Iranian chicken stew with walnuts and pomegranates. Red signifies dawn’s hues, so red is displayed in foods like pomegranate and watermelon and in the covering and seating around the korsi, the table. A variety of nuts are also popular. People stay up until dawn eating and talking and then welcoming the new day after the longest night.
Yalda in Media
Alluding to a real, popular Iranian TV show, Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness, is an Iranian film about a woman pleading for her life after she accidentally killed her husband. She begs forgiveness from his daughter, hoping her life will be spared, all done in front of a live studio audience televised to millions of viewers. You can stream this film on Kanopy and Hoopla free with your library card! Also available free with your library card as an ebook from Hoopla is Yalda by Mina Nemat, an exploration of your life as you learn to move through the darkness into the light of a new day.
YPL has recently ordered several Yalda books for both children and adults, such as The Gift of Tradition and Yalda Night Celebration for children and Deewan-e-Hafez for adults. Be sure to ask a librarian when these books might be available for check-out!
For your little ones, try these activities that Little Persian, which strives to keep Persian traditions alive and relevant, has put together: 12 Yalda Activities for Kids.
Yalda Night is celebrated by Persians and Iran-influenced countries around the world, including Azerbaijan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Balochi areas, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Tajikistan.
Nancy Wissman is a part-time Children’s Librarian at Crestwood Library. With many years experience as a librarian in a variety of settings, Nancy is happiest working with children and their caregivers helping them to find the books that are just right! She also enjoys connecting with children during her Saturday storytimes at Crestwood.
Alison Robles is a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she graduated from Iona University in 2020 with a dual-degree in Marketing and Public Relations. She is pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.
Sources include Yaldā Night - Wikipedia and Yalda Night | Longest night of the year (tappersia.com)