At the eve of the first day of the winter (21st December) Iranian people celebrate Yalda, also is known as Shab-e Chele. This festival is celebrated in the last day of the Persian month Azar, which is the longest night of the year. Iranians light up candles, and lay a tablecloth with fresh winter fruits such as pomegranate, watermelon and grapes and different kinds of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds.
This festival was considered extremely important in pre-Islamic time, and can be traced in a period of more than 6000 years.
Yalda is a Syriac word, which means birth (tavalod). They believed, sun was born at the end of this night.
According to ancient believes, each month of the year belongs to one deity. The month of azar belongs to Azar (Fire), the son of Ahura Mazda. The next month, Day, belongs to Ahura Mazda, The Lord of Wisdon. But the last day of month Azar is the longest night of the year, and the forces of Ahriman, Lord of darkness, are assumed to be at the peak of their strength. So people made fire and burnt it all night in order to prevent Ahriman's forces attack; and helped Mithra, the powerful deity, to bring the light. Because according to Avesta, Mithra, is a light-bringer, he is, the first light of the day. His epithet in Avesta is hvaaraokh.shana-, which means "endowed with own light".
Enjoy Yalda night, because it is the legacy of our ancestor and belongs to our grand grand fathers.
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