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friday 21 december is yalda night
Shab-e Yalda
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Yaldanatt
Shab-e Yaldā (Persian: شب یلدا, 'Night of Birth' [1]), or Shab-e Chelle is an Iranian celebration celebrated this year's longest night. [2] This falls around December 21, at the winter solstice, when the sun turns and goes to higher heights again. Some celebrate the feast of the birth of the sun god Mithra and therefore it is also called Zayeshmehr ('Mithra's birthday) in Persian.


Content
1 History
2 Yaldaceremonin
3 Historical background
4 Traditional Impact
5 See also
6 References



History
Yalda has a story that goes back to the pre-Zoroastrian era. The festival is dedicated to the Persian Sun god Mithra (Modern Persian: Mehr) whose birth one celebrates. Yalda is today an important social event where families and friends meet, often in the oldest family member's house, for fun and joy. You eat good food and different types of dried fruits, nuts, seed kernels, watermelon and pomegranates. Mixing dried and fresh fruits reminds of ancient parties, where celebration and prayers to gods are used to ensure protection for this year's winter crop. For Zoroastrians around the world, the feast, known as Zayeshmehr, is an important joy of happiness.

The word yalda was originally Aramaic and was borrowed into Persian during the Sasanid era.

Yaldaceremonin
At the Iranian calendar reform in 1925, a number of festive calendar days, including Yalda, were celebrated on the first day of the tenth month, which means that the feast usually occurs one day before or after the winter solstice.

Eldar burns all night to ensure the control of Ahriman's forces. You celebrate and pray and act charity, to insure the sun's protection against the powers of darkness. You pray to Mithra (Mehr) and celebrate his honor.

Historical background

The Sassanid grandmother Ardashir I in Taq-e Bostan, Iran. To the left is Mithra.
The holidays have a 4,000 year background and have their roots in a distant ancient age. It has been one of the most important festivals in Iran for centuries and is originally celebrated to the glory of Mithra the sun. In the sacred scriptures of Zoroastronomy Avesta there is an anthem dedicated to Mithra.

Zoroastrier considered Ahura Mazda to fulfill the wishes of the people, especially those who did not have children would be blessed, with the good that everyone enjoyed during rites during the festival symbolizing Mithra's birth. Historians believe that Yalda spread to Europe through the Mithrakult, which was spread during the Roman and Persian great times and eventually replaced with Christian Christmas celebrations on December 25th.

Traditional influence
Persian traditions united in ancient Rome, to a festival for the agricultural god of Saturn. The Romans exchanged gifts, partyed and decorated their homes with greenery and foliage. As a result of the Iranian traditions, the order of the year was secured. Displeasure and grief were forgotten, war interrupted or was postponed. Companies, courts and schools were closed.