The reason for naming Yalda | yalda decoration

Yalda is derived from a Syriac word that means birth. Syriac has been the common language of Christians, which has been obtained from research and study in historical books and dictionaries. The great scientist and calendrologist Abu Rihan Biruni mentions Yalda celebration with the name Milad Akbar and considered it Milad Khurshid.

It is not known exactly how and when the word Yalda celebration entered the Persian language. It has come out from history that the early Christians who lived in Rome had many hardships, at the same time some of them decided to migrate to Iran, and due to the closeness of the cultures, this Syriac word finds its way into the Persian language.

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 The history of Yalda and yalda decoration

As you know, the history and background of Yalda goes back to the past, but its exact date is not known. Many archaeologists have assumed the story of Yalda night seven thousand years ago. Ceramic vases are modeled from prehistoric times, because animal models of Iranian months such as Scorpio and Aries have been hacked into these vases, although it goes without saying that these models are rare from finds, archaeological records and inscriptions, but archaeologists believe. Until 7000 years ago, the Yalda night ritual can be observed.

With all these interpretations, what is known as Yalda Night goes back to 500 BC. And the date of their inclusion in the official calendar of ancient Iranians is related to the time of Darius I, which also includes Egyptians and Babylonians. . . .

The people of ancient times were engaged in animal husbandry and agriculture and adjusted their lives based on nature; So that the change of season and the shortness or length of night and day had a significant impact on their lives. Therefore, they attached special importance to the light, warmth and length of the days and considered it good and pleasant; But winter, cold and long nights were not very pleasant for them.

In Mehr ritual, the last night of autumn is considered as the birthday of the sun; When Izadmehr emerges from a cave in the Alborz mountains in the darkness of a long and cold night and brings the bright sun. Shab Cheleh is actually the night of the birth and emergence of the sun. In the book “From Myth to History” it is quoted by Dr. Mehrdad Bahar:

According to the calendar of ancient Iranian people, Chaleh coincides with the night of the birth of the sun, and although the sun and the moon are closely related, they are not the same. After the conversion of Iranians to Zoroastrianism, the customs of Mehr became a part of Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrians, based on the book of Attar al-Baqiyyah, considered the first day of the day to be the “rooster” or the day of the sun, and called the festival held on this day “Nodrouz”; Because the time interval between Yalda night and Nowruz was 90 days. According to the content of Masoudi’s law book, the first day of December was called “Khorroz” or “Khorromoz” and was attributed to Ahura Mazda. When the Zoroastrian religion was established as the official religion of the country during the Sasanian era, the importance of the seal ritual in government institutions and people’s lives was still evident. This can be clearly seen in the remaining motifs from this period.

According to a long-standing multi-religious tradition, when Iran’s first day arrived, the kings of Iran left the throne, put on white robes, went to the desert and sat on a white carpet. That day the guards and servants of the palace were free and lived like others. In this way, everyone, from the king to the people, had the same status and no one had the right to command others. In addition, on this day, it was forbidden to even shed the blood of sheep and chickens and to fight. Iran’s enemy forces, who realized this problem, temporarily stopped fighting and killing, which sometimes led to a long peace.

Ancient Iranian people used to gather to respect “Ahura Mazda” and “Moor” and to eat and drink and be happy. In the evening of that day, they spread a table named “Miazd” (which means host) on which there were fruits of the season, dried fruits and nuts, which in Zoroastrian terms were called “lurk”. Prayer tools such as incense, incense burner, incense burner, etc. were also placed on this table.

After the spread of the Mehr religion in Europe, the Yalda night or Cheleh night ceremony was held on the occasion of the birth of Mehr and Noor, and even after the spread of Christianity, the customs of this religion remained among the people. He lives among the Romans. In 350 AD, various Christian denominations decided to designate the sixth day of January as Christ’s Birthday (PBSL). But due to the influence of the sealing ceremony, the Roman Church had to place the birthday of Jesus Christ (PSL) at the same time as the birthday of Mithras or Mehr, so that the celebration of the sealing was forgotten.

As the power of the Roman Church grew, other Christian denominations gradually followed suit. But the Armenian and Eastern Orthodox Churches still believe that the Nativity of Christ (PSL) is celebrated on January 6. Scholars believe that according to biblical sources, December 21 or 25 is dedicated to the season of agriculture and temperate weather and the early history of Christianity, and it is not considered the birthday of Jesus Christ (PSL). The first Christmas celebrations are a gift and a legacy from ancient Iran to the world that has remained to this day.

The word Christmas comes from the Roman word “natale” which means birth. In addition, Santa’s hat is reminiscent of a polytheistic priest’s hat. Interestingly, the pine tree and the star on it during the Christmas ceremony is also considered a multi-religious heritage. The Romans considered evergreen trees like pine as a sign of Mithra’s power and victory over winter and cold. In the motifs left over from the Mehr ritual, next to the Mehr and Anahita, a pine or cypress tree is drawn in the shape of a cross with Iranian decorative motifs.

What is Yalda Yalda celebration? ?| yalda decoration

The time interval between sunset on December 30 and sunrise on January 1 is Yalda night. In the book “Definitive Proof” written by “Mohammed Hossein bin Khalaf Tabrizi” in the explanation of the word “Yalda” it is stated:

Yalda is the first night of winter and the last night of autumn, which is the first of Capricorn and the last of Sagittarius, and it is the longest night. Throughout the year, on that night or close to that night, the sun enters Capricorn, and they say that night is extremely inauspicious and unblessed, and some have said that Yalda night is the 11th of Capricorn.

In the past, Iranians used to spend this night at the foot of the Alborz mountains and wait for the dawn to blow and the sun to rise again. In some shrines of the followers of the Mehr religion, a prayer ceremony was held on Yalda night to ask God for the defeat of the devil and the victory of the Mehr.

When is Yalda celebration? | yalda decoration

On the first day of January every year, the Earth reaches the winter solstice, and thus, the shortest day and longest night of the year occur in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the year occurs in the Southern Hemisphere. Interestingly, the length of the night is not the same in the northern hemisphere; For example, the length of night and day is equal at the equator, and as you go towards the pole, the length of Yalda night increases. In fact, the height of Yalda night depends on the geographical location.

On the night of Yalda, the distance of the sun from the celestial orbit reaches its longest, and for this reason, the longest night of the year occurs; Although this length is only one minute different from other nights.

Iranian customs on Yalda celebration | yalda decoration

We knew that the last night of autumn, which is considered the longest and darkest night of the year, deserves a special place among Iranians as Yalda night, and Iranians spend this long night together until dawn with all kinds of fun programs. , so that darkness, coldness and absence of sadness do not weaken their souls and they go to bed with a clear sky and rest comfortably.

According to the ancient traditions of the ancient religion, on the first day of January, the Persian kings put down the royal throne and put on white clothes, went to the desert and sat on a white carpet, and the imperial guards and guards. The palace and all the servants and slaves of the city were freed and lived like others, and everyone, including the chief, the king, and the people, were equal and in the same position. Of course, it goes without saying that the truth of this claim has not been proven and may be just a myth.

Today, Yalda is celebrated by Iranians when relatives and families spend the night together, so on this important evening, family members gather together and family elders start telling stories, old stories about eating watermelon, nuts, pomegranates and sweets. Different fruits are one of the symbolic aspects of this night of love. Most of these fruits have many seeds and it is believed to be a kind of contagious charm that people can increase their fertility by invoking the blessing of their seeds. Watermelon and pomegranate represent the sun at night because of their red color.

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Get to know the customs of Yalda celebration | yalda decoration

Among the common and famous rituals of Yalda night, it is possible to mention lighting a fire, telling stories of old men and elders, eating snacks and praying to Hafez.

Lighting a fire in Yalda celebration

Since lighting a fire was a symbol of light and the sun in the view of the ancients, and also some people knew it to remove the darkness and evil spirits, so they lit a fire to drive away the darkness and demonic forces to create a warm circle next to each other. .

Reading stories and parables on Yalda celebration

On the night of Yalda, families gather together and listen to the reading of poems and stories by the elders. Unreal and small stories whose heroes are fairies, demons, and animals, and for sure every child should listen to them. It is pleasant and attractive.

And depending on the culture of each city or province, stories related to themselves are told, for example, the story of Hossein Kurd Shabestri is common among Azerbaijanis and the stories of the Shahnameh are common among Khorasanis.

Hafez fortune-telling and Shahnameh reading on Yalda celebration

Reading the Shahnameh and reading Hafez’s fortune in Yalda nights is another entertainment of Iranians and it has been customary for a long time if the intended audience intends to make fun of Hafez and the elder of the Majlis, who is going to speak, asks him to say this sentence. He should repeat to himself: O  Hafez Shirazi , you are the discoverer of every secret, I am seeking a fortune, don’t comment on me…

And then open the divan and read the sonnet on the upper right side, because the answer is tfaal, if they come across the middle of the sonnet, the fortune must be read from the beginning of the sonnet, i.e. the back page. After the sonnet is read, they interpret it. If the content is positive, it means a good omen, but if it is negative, it means it is bad.

Also, reciting the Shahnameh is one of the most integral programs of the Yalda night, which has been popular since long ago. There is a great chance that you have such a person in your family.

Yalda celebration table arrangement

Setting the yalda night decor with a variety of foods and snacks is one of the rituals of this unforgettable night, which includes special nuts and fruits such as pomegranate, watermelon and other snacks. It is interesting to know that in the past, a table with the name The table has been widened and special dry and fresh fruits and nuts, or so-called Zoroastrian lork, have been used in the table, which is one of the main components of the table, and in fact, it is considered the feast of this celebration. Other components can be He pointed to perfumes, incense burners, censers, and balsam. Barsam is a tool for praying that is made of silver metal, brass, or a special plant branch.

Special fruits for Yalda celebration 

The main fruit of the yalda night table design is pomegranate and Persimmon are yalda ideas, because the ancients considered  it a source of blessing and fertility, and they proposed this interpretation because of its many seeds, and also its red color is a symbol of the sun and happiness. In fact, eating and having pomegranate on the table Yalda night was due to the belief in the effect of its contagious magic, so that by eating pomegranate and resorting to it, they would increase the power of fertility and blessing in themselves.

The sanctity of the pomegranate fruit has been proven to everyone since ancient times, and it even had a special place among the world’s major religions, because its name is mentioned in legends and myths. Pomegranate is considered sacred in Zoroastrianism, and it is one of the trees of Minoan. and it is interesting to know that its branches and fruits are used in religious ceremonies of Zoroastrians.

And as for watermelon, like pomegranate, it is one of the most special fruits of yalda night decoration, but the question that arises here is, isn’t it a bit strange for watermelon to get cold first? You should know that as watermelon is a summer fruit, therefore, in addition to its red color, it reminds of heat and The heat of summer is also a symbol of the sun.

Of course , other fruits and citrus fruits such as   oranges  , apples, persimmons , pears, or even  pumpkins  can be used.

Nuts and delicious snacks on Yalda celebration

Nuts and special snacks such as  pistachio nuts  , almonds , walnuts, hazelnuts, along with berries and  dried figs  are one of the more important options for dinner on Yalda night. As you know, long-term storage of fruits in the past was not easy for They used to dry many fruits for consumption and preservation.

Apart from the things mentioned in the above text, wheat, watermelon seeds  , roasted chickpeas and  hemp  can also be consumed on Yalda night.

It is interesting to know that today, other foods and snacks such as pashmak or basleq are also used in the yalda night decorations.

In some cities, apart from the common ceremony, there are other unique characteristics and features that remain unknown and silent.

Yalda celebration customs in different provinces

Yalda night in Azerbaijan province (East and West)

In this region, it is customary to take decorated and glittering khwanchas to the house of the betrothed or the newlyweds. They decorate watermelons in beautiful trays and put red shawls next to them, while the people of the north They celebrate this ritual by decorating the fish.

Taking the New Year’s Eve for the newlyweds

Newlyweds consider Yalda night to be one of the most special nights for them, because on this night, a pleasant and attractive ceremony is held for brides, an interesting custom left from the past.

On this dear night, beautiful gifts are prepared by the groom’s family for the newlyweds, and they go to the bride’s house to party and spend the night, and the bride’s family also prepares to host and welcome the groom’s family.

Shab Chele ritual is performed in the same old way in the cities and the families put the purchased gifts in a big tray which they say and in some places it is also known as Khuanche Chele where the women of the groom’s family carry those trays. They put it on their heads and go to the bride’s house.

But as the culture and art department of Namnak said, the bride’s Yalda night in big cities is different from the cities and it is not the old way, but there are families who have performed this beautiful custom and instead of small and big chests and also Wooden baskets are decorated with modern flower decorations and taken to their bride’s house. Therefore, it can be said that the customs and traditions of the bride’s Yalda night have a common root among Iranians and usually have the same general principles, but there are differences in taste in buying gifts according to the culture of each region, and these gifts are sometimes more or less.

List of Christmas gifts for the bride

1. A variety of decorated fruits and nuts in fancy and decorative containers is one of the most important and constant parts of a gift.
2. Kale sugar, sweets  and  various sweets that are a symbol of sweet taste and blessing are always included in the dish.
3. A well-designed and colorful fabric rug
4. Bags, shoes and winter clothes with the bride’s taste
5. A piece of gold is also placed inside the bride’s gifts.
6. If desired, a volume of Divan Hafez
7. If you are not familiar with the bride’s taste, cash gifts can also be given instead of buying accessories.

As much as buying the gifts itself is of great importance, the taste that is supposed to be used in decorating these gifts is very important and cannot be ignored, because the more taste and taste is used in the arrangement of these gifts, the more love and affection. It shows between two families, and these decorations are made with colorful lace tools and special red ribbons, which is a symbol of Yalda.

Of course, if you are one of those people who are very busy and on the other hand, you have no experience of such work, don’t worry and leave this work to those who are experienced and creative and have skillful hands in flower arrangement and decoration. If you have any of them, be sure to select and order an attractive work according to your taste.

 

According to your request, they will arrange flowers and carry out your desired design, and you can also hand over your fruits to those who arrange fruits, because today, with the high variety of fruit arrangements and different cuts on fruits according to the gifts The bride looks her most beautiful.

So, if you have a new wedding in your family, start working now and implement the ideas you have in your mind to increase the intimacy and warmth of two families, don’t doubt that the importance and value of a gift is not measured by its quantity. And its intention is more important, so prepare stylish gifts for your bride as much as you can and create an unrepeatable Yalda night for you and your bride’s family.

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