Leila Imeni, Staff writer
Footballers know very well how one minute may decide the fate of an important match, especially in the heat of the World Cup. In people approaching the end of their lives, it can take a minute for brain cells to die. Iranian students who participate in one of the most competitive university admission exams know the value of one minute.
In a like manner, Iranian families and people in love, knowing that life is short, celebrate even one more minute of being together on the last night of autumn, Yalda Night.
Yalda, a winter festival and ancient celebration, is observed every year on the night of December 21. It is one of the most important Persian occasions that have been of great importance to people. In fact, what is known today as Yalda Night dates back to 500 BCE, the reign of Darius I, an Achaemenid king.
Yalda Night was registered on Iran’s National Heritage List in a ceremony attended by the country’s cultural heritage officials on December 21, 2008.
Persian culture has a lengthy history and the language is the most important reason for its survival. Iran has a large number of cultural commonalities with other Persian-speaking countries including Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the most important of which is Norouz (Iranian New Year) and Yalda Night.
Although Afghan people have had many problems in the last four decades, they have successfully managed to safeguard the traditions and customs inherited from their ancestors.
Due to the high significance of this ancient tradition, having a global status on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List was a target pursued by the Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts for years. Iran offered a proposal to Afghanistan on the joint registration of Yalda Night on UNESCO’s List in the Iranian year to mid-March 2019.
The ancient festival was registered on Afghanistan’s National Heritage List in 2021, and the country announced readiness to cooperate with Iran in preparing a dossier for joint global registration of the occasion.
The joint registration of Yalda Night on UNESCO’s List is predicted to help boost cultural relations between Iran and Afghanistan.
The significance of various social values such as hospitality, friendship and family relations and the great effect of cultural tools, including poetry reading and storytelling on human life are among the elements receiving attention during Yalda Night.
On this night Iranian people spend time with each other, recite poetry, play music and tell stories until dawn. Eating is a delicious part of Yalda Night. People eat nuts, watermelons, and pomegranates, each of which has a symbolic significance.
Iranians know this night as the turning point from darkness to light. In the Persian culture darkness is associated with evil, while sun and light represent life and joy.
In ancient times, Iranian people who made a living by farming and herding, clearly felt the effects of light and heat on their lives. They knew light and the sun as the symbols of the Creator, while darkness and cold symbolized the devil and misfortune.
They celebrated the last night of autumn because, thereafter, days would gradually get longer. They believe this is the time when the Creator wins over the devil and light overcomes darkness.
The traditions and customs of Yalda Night have been passed down orally from one generation to the next. A variety of practices, ceremonies and ri tuals surrounding Yalda Night are observed by Iranians living in the country and throughout the world.
At the end of Yalda Night, Iranian people wish their loved ones a long and happy life, sweet as watermelon and fruitful as pomegranates.
No comments:
Post a Comment