Longest night, brightest smiles
Iranians and Canadians joined to chase the darkness away and celebrate the sun’s rebirth
TRURO, N.S. – For Shirin Jalali, dancing the night away and reading poems of love and wine are perfect remedies for the winter blues, be it in Canada or her native Iran.
She did exactly that on Saturday evening in Truro, joining 40 other Iranians and Canadians to celebrate Yalda Night, the ancient Persian winter solstice. It brought back fond memories for Jalali, who, in the old country, would join her family at a table weighed down with watermelons, pomegranates and bowls of nuts.
“I’m so happy,” said Jalali. “Especially when I see my friends who have this restaurant and it shares all the memories with the Iranian ones.”
Yalda Night was hosted by Saffron Restaurant on Arthur Street in Truro and its owners Mehran Farrokhrouz and wife Foroozan Moslemi, good friends with many of Saturday night’s guests, including Jalali.
“We are happy to share one of our traditions with Canadians,” said Jalali.
For some Canadian celebrants, Yalda is a time to heal, falling on the same day many North American churches hold "Blue Christmas" or "longest night" ceremonies. These events allow people to honour lost loved ones.
“It’s really going to be beautiful this year, because I’ve gone through a loss of my husband,” said guest Debi Arnold. “My partner James lost his wife, so we’re starting anew. It’s a brand-new world to us.”
The couple paused by the Yalda display table, decorated with candles, cut watermelon and other fruits.
Instead of tears, however, the couple laughed together, enjoying the welcoming atmosphere at Saffron.
The Persian poet Hafiz would have approved of their newfound happiness. His poem "Cast All Your Votes for Dancing" was read aloud at Yalda Night, as it would be in the old country.
“… you are with the Friend now, and look so much stronger,” read the second verse.
Covey and Arnold live next door to Saffron and enjoy stopping by for meals, as well as learning about Persian culture.
“They have been very kind to us,” said Covey of his Iranian neighbours. “You don’t expect this from what we see on CNN or American television. They’re just
a warm people, as Canadians are, as most Americans are. People are people.”
Yalda Night dates back thousands of years to the Persian Empire and has its roots in Iran’s ancient Zoroastrian faith.
Centuries ago, Zoroastrians saw the longest night as a time when evil spirits were at their strongest.
This tradition has survived in modern Iran. To ward off bad luck, people stay awake, gathering in groups and feasting until the small hours.
Yalda is somewhat similar to the Yule nights celebrated in pre-christian Europe.
The modern festival is celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, parts of Central Asia, Azerbaijan and by Kurds in Iraq and Turkey.