Shab-e Yalda

On the night of 30 Azar until sunrise on 1 Dey in the Jalali calendar, usually 20 or 21 December, family and friends gather for a private celebration on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. A guest would find a table set with symbolic foods: pomegranate, watermelon, nuts and dried fruits. People stay awake until late in the night. Poetry is read, especially Hafez, including fal-e Hafez, when the divan is opened at random for a reading. Stories from the Shahnameh are also read or listened to.

Shab-e Yalda, also called Shab-e Chelleh or Shab-e Chelleh Bozorg, marks the longest night of the year. Its symbolism centres on the victory of light over darkness and the rebirth of the sun. The name “Yalda” comes from Syriac and means “birth”. The practice has roots in ancient Iranian traditions and in the cult of Mithra. It was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2022, jointly for Iran and Afghanistan.