Ancient Iranian celebrations are among the oldest historical events. The UNESCO world heritage list includes some to recognize Iran’s culture and celebrations. Yalda, the longest night of the year, is one of the oldest Iranian holidays families celebrate on the last night of autumn.
it begins at Sunset on the last day of autumn and ends with Sunrise on the first day of winter. In Iranian culture, celebrating this beautiful night strengthens familial bonds and communications. Yalda night, the last night of autumn and the longest night of the year, has another name, Chelleh Night.
What Is the Origin of Yalda Night?
It is Chelleh Night which means unbreakable Sun, Milad Mehr, etc. The roots of the celebration of Yalda Night among Iranians date back to ancient times, realizing that the first night of winter is the longest night of the year.
According to the ancient Iranians, the Sun was invincible on this night. They believed that daylight and Sunlight symbolized goodness. On the other hand, the darkness of night and the cold were signs of the devil.
They discovered that days and nights are occasionally longer; little by little, they imagined that light and darkness were fighting and winning, respectively. The ancient Aryan tribes thought the Sun had won the struggle on the last night of December.
Consequently, it ruled for several months, so the days were longer. The Germans celebrated the Sun’s birth on the first of winter and called that month the god of the Sun. Abu Raihan Al-Biruni, in Masoudi’s law book, talks about Yalda Night.
He says the first day of January is Khurram Rooz or Khoreh Rooz, meaning the Sun’s day, the birthday of the invincible Sun. This day attributes to Ahura Mazda and is one of the celebrations of the Yegan (synonym of day and moon).
According to Abu Raihan Al-Biruni, the old Sistani calendar began in winter, and its first month was Christ. He also called this day Milad Akbar meaning the birth of the Sun. Iranians also call Yalda, Chelleh Night means forty days.
Are Chelleh Night and Yalda Night the Same?
The Chelleh Night consists of two parts; the big Chelleh and the small Chelleh begin from January 1 to February 10. The temperature decreases sharply and gets colder in the big Chelleh. Then small Chelleh arrives and lasts from February 10 to March 20. In the small Chelleh.
The temperature maximizes, and the weather warms up; the Iranians start the first day of winter by celebrating the first night of the big Chelleh. The Iranian families commemorate this tradition; they spend this night together with goodness, joy, and happiness.
Yalda is the longest night of the year, from the Sunset on December 20, the last autumn day, to Sunrise on January 1, the first winter day. The night gets shorter, and the day gets longer due to the solstice in the northern hemisphere.
What Is the Origin of Yalda Word?
Yalda is a Syriac word meaning birth; Syriac was the common language of Christians. The how and time of entering this word in Persian is ambiguous. History witnessed that the early Christians who lived in Rome faced many hardships, so some emigrated to Iran.
Due to sharing similarities of cultures, this Syriac word entered Persian. As mentioned earlier, the last, longest, and darkest night of the year is Yalda, possessing a special place among Iranians. They happily celebrate from dusk to dawn so that the darkness, coldness, and sorrow of the absence of the Sun fail to weaken their souls.
What Are the Ceremonies of Yalda Night?
Iranians hold Yalda celebrations with relatives and families, and the elderly family members narrate ancient stories. This night’s symbolic feature is eating watermelon, nuts, pomegranates, candies, and various fruits. Indeed, watermelon and pomegranate represent the Sun at night due to their red color.
As mentioned, Yalda is the first night of winter, and one minute longer than other nights, all family members and relatives gather to have a memorable night. Yalda means birth and gaining blessings, and this night is considered a holy time in Iran.
One of this night’s ancient and common traditions is reading Hafez and Shahnameh. The elder of the family recites Hafez’s love poems or reads Shahnameh to make this night more memorable and enjoyable. Poetry and literature interweaved with Iranian families.
Hafez’s book of poetry is in almost every home; people have a firm belief and interest in Hafez reading and divination. Reading Hafez’s poetry is prevalent in most cities of Iran; people open Hafez’s book and take Fal-e- Hafez for their heart’s desires.
Why Poems of Hafez?
Do you want to know why other poets’ poems are not recited on Yalda night and why people are interested in reading Hafez’s poems? To answer this question, read the comment of Baha Al-din Khorramshahi:
God paid particular attention to Hafez because he looked and paid attention to Iranians, and the people looked and paid attention to him. The secret of Hafez’s divination and the relevance of his poems to the intended subject is because of God’s attention to him.
Hafez’s poems have various universal themes and meanings; he considered meaning more minute than other poets. According to Hafez’s poems, belief in the Hereafter is belief in the resurrection and humor. Other important themes of Hafez’s poetry are:
- Love;
- Mysticism;
- Ethics;
- Thoughtfulness;
- Non-thoughtfulness;
- Disbelief in the world;
- Trust;
- And gratitude.
Hafez is a poet who had a special relationship with God, faith, and memorizing the Holy Quran. The Iranian people call Hafez “mystic tongue,” meaning one who speaks of the unseen.
On Yalda Night, Iranians believe God pays special attention to His servants. They believe in Hafez’s poems enunciating the fulfillment of dreams; Hafez announces their destiny through his poems which sounds good. The Iranians believe in the divinity of Hafez’s book.
Because he is the memorizer of the whole Quran, his poems are an inspiration from divine secrets and can announce their future. Hafez is a mediator in this holy night with God to make their wishes and desires come true. He benefits from a particular place nationally and internationally.
How to Get Hafez’s Divination?
To get Hafez’s divination, ask someone to read and interpret his poems correctly. For divination, read Surah Hamd and Tawhid from Quran, then kiss the book of Hafez, expressing your wishes and intentions in your heart.
Next, accidentally open a page of his book. Start reading meaningful and melodious Hafez poems. If you can not interpret the verses, you may ask somebody to help you. The exceptional beauty of his poetry makes Yalda Night more beautiful.
What Are the Main Fruits of Yalda?
In addition to their deliciousness, all fruits have special meanings, symbols, and properties. This night is known chiefly for watermelon and pomegranate. The redness of these fruits signifies the Sun’s heat.
Another blood-forming and delicious fruit is the pomegranate, signifying happiness, birth, and empathy. In ancient Iranian culture, red was a sign of the Sun’s warmth and heat; that’s why it was highly crucial to them.
In addition to squash, some families treat their guests with beets symbolizing sustenance and blessing. Many fruits can be found on the Yalda table, such as tangerines, oranges, pumpkins, kiwis, etc. Nuts and candies are served, including walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts.
In some cities, dried fruits are used instead of nuts. All friends, acquaintances, and family gather for fun and joy on this night. Most people visit elders, which shows respect in Iranian families; they forget the turmoil and discomfort and visit each other.
The Bottom Line
In ancient times, Aryans and Iranians used to ask for the Sun before the religion of Zoroaster because after Yalda Night, the days became longer and the nights shorter. On the Night of Yalda, some tribes light a fire representing light and the Sun.
However, some light it to avoid evil and darkness. Yalda Night is also celebrated in Russia, Japan, South Korea, Africa, Thailand, and East Asia, with specific rituals and customs. If you visit Iran on Yalda Night, you will see breathtaking ceremonies.
You may be interested in other Iranian ceremonies and festivals!
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