Shab e Yalda یلدا

Shab e Yalda (شب یلدا), Shab e Chelle (شب چلّه), or Yalda Night is an ancient festival in Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey celebrated on the winter solstice. This corresponds approximately to the night of December 20 or 21 in the Gregorian calendar, and to the night between the last day of the ninth month (Azar) and the first day of the tenth month (Dey) of the Iranian solar calendar.

Attribution: Vfnyos, CC BY-SA 4.0

The longest and darkest night of the year is a time when friends and family gather together to eat, drink and read poetry - especially Hafez and the Shahnameh - until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts are eaten with pomegranates and watermelons being of particularly significance. The red color in these fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and glow of life. The poems of Divan-e Hafez, which can be found in the bookcases of most Iranian families, are read or recited on various occasions such as this festival and Nowruz. Shab e Yalda was officially added to Iran's List of National Treasures in a special ceremony in 2008.

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