Celebration

This writing is about one traditional custom in my culture. Nowadays, Christian countries are getting ready for Christmas. All streets, houses and shops are decorated for this event. For Iranian people, it is different because they are getting ready for the last night of fall, which is called Shab-e-Yalda or Shab-e-Chelleh.

According to the Georgian calendar, which was produced by “Khayyam” – one of the most famous scientists in the ancient world – the last night of fall is the longest and darkest night of the year. It usually falls on December 20 or 21. Before Islam, the majority of people was followers of Zoroastrianism, and at that time people believed that evil power was strongest at night. They looked forward to the next day, “Ahura Mazda”, which means “Lord of Wisdom”. They believed in the commemoration of light.

Yalda means “birth”. This word in Syriac Christian papers means Christmas. People stayed awake for that night to prevent bad luck from happening. They gathered with their friends and families in a safe place to celebrate and share fruits. The most important things in this ceremony are pomegranate, watermelon and dried nuts, which are highly significant in this culture.

Another part of this event is reading Hafez poetry. Hafez was the most famous poet in Iran, and he lived a few centuries ago. People believe him as much as they believe in God. It is tradition to make a wish and randomly open his book of poetry and ask the eldest member of the family to read one poem aloud while everyone listens carefully.

Next week, we are going to take part in this celebration in our city. It will be the first time that my family and I join a group of people to celebrate this important date. I am really looking forward to it because I love to share happy moments like these with my family and friends.