From: derek@locus.com (Dariush Keyani-Yazdi)
Subject: Re: Shab-e Yaldaa
Organization: Locus Computing Corp, Los Angeles
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 01:35:32 GMT

Noushin Bashir writes:

>The night of Dec. 21 is Shab-e Yaldaa (so I've heard). Isn't there any
>light one can shed on this tradition? Like its history, customs, and
>etc? 

Hi Noushin,

I have been meaning to write a few words about shab-e yalda the past few
days, and when I saw your message I thought I'll write what I know about
shab-e yalda. Hopefully other people will have more to add, or comment.

The Persians have traditionally celebrated shab-e yalda, the longest night
of the year, as a family occation.  There is a whole tradition of what
is done, what kinds of food are eaten, etc. etc. which maybe somebody
will detail.  There is also another aspect of this night which usually is
not emphasized or understood properly, and that is, *why* is this night
celebrated. 

Shab-e yalda which is celebrated on December 21 (so this year will be Monday
night) is the longest night of the year, the beginning of winter, it is
when darkness is at its height. It is also the night of the birth of Mithras
(Greek for Mithra, or mehr, meaning sun, light, love). The following is
quoted from New Catholic Encyclopedia, page 983:

	The birth of the infant Mithra was celebrated on December 25, i.e.,
	just after the winter solstice, when the power of the sun was at
	its lowest. This undoubtedly contributed to the adoption of
	December 25 as the date for Christmas.

If you are wondering how come Christmas is still celebrated on December 25,
while shab-e yalda on December 21, here is the answer:

In the Old Persian calendar every month was 30 days, this would leave an
extra 5 days at the end of the year. With this calendar the longest night
of the year would not be on December 21, because there was an extra five
days that needed to be divided between the seasons. 5 / 4 = 1 1/4, so share
of each season of these 5 extra days was 1 1/4 days, and since shab-e yalda
was also the beginning of winter, and three seasons had passed, they would
add 3 * (1 1/4) = 3 3/4 days to December 21 in the old calendar to 
arrive at the longest night of the year. If this 3 3/4 days is added to
December 21 (consider sunrise, =~ 6 am the beginning of the day), it
brings one to midnight December 24, which is Christmas. In the new calendar
the longest night of the year is actually on December 21 (shab-e yalda), 
while Christmas has stayed on December 25. 

Another valid question, and a far more intriguing one, is why the Persians
celebrated the longest night and not say the shortest night, or even better
the longest day? Isn't it that shab-e yalda is when the power of sun is at
its lowest, and darkness at its highest? How does it make sense then to
celebrate such a night as the birth of Mithra (who represents light
and truth)? 

This symbolism of the sun (Mithra) being born on the longest night points
us to the serious vision of the Persian mythology: the sun (light, truth)
is born when darkness is at its height. The celebration of yalda is to
underline the importance of this battle between light and darkness, between
justice and injustice, and the work humanity has to do in this world, which
is to bring light and beauty and love and truth to this world (which is
represented by the longest night). Two points are important here: in
Persian mythology we become the guardian of truth by embracing it, and
this work (which is humanity's purpose) *has* to be done in this world.
Shab-e yalda is the celebration of this magnificent vision.

Happy shab-e yalda,
Dariush

Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian,soc.culture.arabic