Celebrating Yalda

Yalda, Winter Solstice, my Favorite Holiday

^{By: Sohaela Amiri}

This one is personal. Very personal. And of course it begins on Yalda eve. Shab-e-yalda, or shab-e-chelleh, is the celebration of the winter solstice by the Iranian people, just as others begin celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. Perhaps not a coincidence? You can find a lot about the traditions of Yalda night and what’s customary from other sources. But in this post, I intend to talk about its significance for me. 

Yalda, which means “birth,” symbolizes the victory of light over darkness as the days get longer from this point on throughout the (Iranian) year. This non-religious and scientific celebration is the very epitome of all that I cherish beyond science; poetry, family, and yummy healthy snacks i.e. everything that brings joy and peace into my life.

Yalda unites the rational and logical side of one’s being with their emotions, beauty and art, their transcendence. This is a night to celebrate every star, figuratively speaking, that shines to break the darkness and remind us of hope, wisdom and courage. Wisdom is also celebrated in many poems along with messages of kindness, good judgement, and humanity.

Persian poetry is a gem and a major reason for why I’m grateful to know the language. This site is used to share my translations and interpretations of favorite Persian poems. To share the joy with others, everything will be in English. I also intend to capture favorite poems from around the world and invite you to participate, making this meaningful to more people, details TBD soon.

 The richness of the literature and poetry are not unique to Iran and Persian culture, of course. So, I’m inviting fans of poetry from around the world to help show how we are much more alike than we are different, by embracing dialogue through poetry.