Yalda Night (Shab-e Yalda or shab-e chelle)

Yalda night when the earth is ready for winter coronation. It is a night that has been making a fuss in the streets and bazaars for a long time, and people are preparing to prepare for this ancient celebration. The journey of autumn, after spending the longest night of the year, turns the Yalda celebration into a symbol of hope for light and passing through the darkness, and our ancestors have left us this beautiful ritual as an excuse to gather together.

Shab-e Yalda is the longest night of the year. This Persian winter event is on December 20 or 21 each year. Yalda” in Old Persian language (Syriac) means birth on this night friends and family gather around “korsi,” a heated low table. They eat fruits and nuts. 

From time immemorial, one of the main customs of Yalda celebration has been reading Hafez and fortune telling

Iranians believe the red-colored fruits symbolize the glow of life. Pomegranates and watermelons are an integral element of Yalda. Pomegranates symbolize rebirth and revival, its shiny seeds also increase energy and vitality. Melons and other fruits signify fertility, light, and goodness, they show hope for having a fruitful spring and summer.

In Yalda, this ancient festival is reminded that even the longest night of the year leads to morning and the dark moments do not last forever.

Yalda night celebration is a symbol of hope for tomorrow and a bright future that together we can appreciate the moments more and by being together for a while away from the daily worries of life and moments with our loved ones Lets spend it full of joy.