Yalda Night in Iran: 5-Step Guide to Celebrate the Longest Night of the Year

Watermelon, pomegranate and nuts are traditional Yalda night treats
Source: hamgardi.com

As you might know, December 21st is Winter Solstice which means it`s the longest night in the year. Not many of us would have even noticed! However, for Iranians whose calendar is deeply intertwined with the laws of nature, it`s a big holiday called Yalda Night.

Yalda Night awakes nostalgic feelings  in most Iranians who had seen a more traditional, thorough and more widely celebrated Yalda night at their grandparents` house with all relatives gathered around korsi (a traditional heating device, if I may call it so) sharing sweet memories of the past, reciting poems of Hafez and having lots of tea and snacks together.

Nowadays, however, Yalda night is not celebrated so widely any more. It isn`t even an official holiday what doesn`t let many people enjoy the whole night celebration. Still, for many Yalda remains a good occasion to gather up with family or friends and have some quality time together.

Tehran Events Guide: December 15-21

In Tehran Events Guide I`m introducing exhibitions, movies (in English, of course), concerts, festivals and other happenings that might interest you so that you won`t have to check multiple websites to decide where to go at the weekend! Tehran doesn`t have night life, but it doesn`t mean there is nothing to do here! So get ready to go out this weekend!

Some thoughts on marriage in Iran

My husband`s close friend is getting married, and when he announced it to us, I realized how happy I was for him, even happier than for my own close friend`s wedding! And that made me think that marriage is still a big deal here in Iran, and I believe, it`s a positive thing, something people, unfortunately, lost in the Western world.