Beltane, the Gaelic May Day Festival

 Yalda Night 

 

The Longest Night of the Iranian year, called Yalda, is the name of a traditional, ancient celebration reminiscent of the loving customs and traditions of the Iranians. Also, Yalda is the longest night of the year, the distance between the last day of autumn and the first day of winter, and coincides with the winter solstice. Ancient Iranians used to celebrate and dance together on this night. They would gather together and welcome winter by sharing traditional foods, fresh fruits such as pomegranates, watermelons, pumpkins, nuts, and most importantly, a time full of warmth, generosity, love, and friendship. In this way, they would ease the cold of winter by sharing the warmth of their being with each other. The most important philosophy of Yalda Night was that with empathy, friendship, helping each other, and unity, any hardship can be overcome. On Yalda, the elders of the family would help preserve Iranian literature and ancient customs rooted in Iranian culture and tradition by reciting wonderful Iranian poems such as Hafez and retelling some of the ancient stories from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. To celebrate this night, the ancient Iranians would usually spread a hand-sewn Kashmiri tablecloth on the korsi and fill it with Yalda fruits such as sweet and juicy pomegranates, red and ripe watermelons, delicious cooked pumpkins, and various decorated nuts.

When I was a child, I would always wear new clothes with bright colors on Yalda night and go to my grandmother’s house with my parents, my siblings. The whole family would be there, like uncles, aunts, and their children. All the family members would sit around Grandma's warm and cozy korsi. You wouldn't believe it. I can still taste Grandma's warm and fresh sweets. I can still smell the scent of saffron, rose water, and cardamom. I hear the laughter and joy of the children in my ears, and I remember the advice of the elders who told us to take care of each other while playing. For a moment, I remembered the sweet and cooked beetroot with their beautiful color that would melt the heart of every viewer, and it was impossible to leave Grandma's house without eating them. After Grandma's warm and generous reception, which of course the whole family participated in preparing these fruits and foods, it was Grandpa's turn to recite the Shahnameh. His tone of reciting the Shahnameh was unique, charming, and unique, and even children loved reading it. The whole atmosphere was full of intimacy, kindness, friendship, and joy. Unfortunately, the Yalda of Iranians these days is no longer the color of joy, affection, love, generosity, and most worryingly, it does not have the philosophical meaning of the past. Perhaps inflation and high prices are the main reasons for this. These days, Yalda is no longer as crowded and crowded as before. Perhaps it is celebrated by a single family, and perhaps many families cannot afford its luxurious expenses. In any case, Yalda is more than a party for us Iranians. It is a night that reminds us of love, friendship, warmth, tradition, culture, and ancient Iranian customs and traditions behind its beautiful philosophy of unity and solidarity between the people of Iran.