Muhammad Daud
Shab-e-Yelda is a festival of ancient Iranian civilization which has been celebrated with great order by the civilized people of Iran for centuries. This year as well Iranians living in Iran and all over the world are celebrating Shab Yalda festival on the night between December 21st and 22nd, for which the preparations have reached the peak.
It should be remembered that Shab-e-Yalda or Shab-e-Challah is one of the oldest festivals celebrated in Iran. This festival is celebrated on the passing of the longest and coldest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the days after that Shab-e-Yalda is called the beginning of winter.
Another name for this night is Chilla (from forty) and it is one of the most important cultural festivals in Iran. The above-mentioned celebration or festival is celebrated in most Asian Islamic countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Iraqi Kurdistan and all the countries of ancient Turkey( Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan) etc.
It is known that Shab-e-Yalda was one of the holy night of ancient Iran which was included in the official calendar of ancient Iranians from 502 BC during the reign of Darius I. The main reason is that the people of ancient times were accustomed to the passage of seasons and natural contradictions throughout the year due to experience. They did their work and activities by changing the rotation of the sun and the seasons and altitudes.
They noticed that in some seasons the days were very long and as a result they could use more sunlight during those days. This gave rise to their belief that the light and brightness of the sun is a sign of goodness. Therefore, they likened it to fighting the darkness of the night (problems).
Ancient peoples including the Aryans, Indians and Europeans found that the shortest days were the last days of autumn and the first night of winter, and that immediately thereafter the days gradually became longer and the nights shorter. So they called this night the night of the birth of the sun (Mahar) and made it the beginning of the year, after which this tradition was read and this night was celebrated.
So that the whole year would bring them good crops and other blessings. In Central Asian countries this tradition is still alive and the festival is celebrated regularly every year known as Shab-e-Yalda. Originally, these rituals were intended to protect people from evil, when the evil forces of Ahriman were believed to be at their peak. The spiritual leaders of the time advised the people to stay awake most of the night lest any trouble befall them and the people then gathered under the protection of friends and relatives.
The last remnants of summer would share fruits and find ways to pass the long night together in good company, which later became a festival. Which is also recorded by Al-Biruni. Besides other old festivals which are held during winter are also known from the early Islamic period.
It is generally believed that it was originally celebrated on the winter solstice, which Al-beruni also lists as a fire festival, which is the last month of autumn and marks the beginning of winter.
The important thing is that Iran has kept its ancient calendar alive even today. This is the reason why Iran is called the world’s most historic and safe country of civilization. When it comes to civilized nations in the world, the name of Iran is mentioned first.
On the occasion of Shab-e-Yalda, where a series of programs and seminars are going on in Iranian consulates around the world, a series of ceremonies are also going on in Khana Farhang Iran Peshawar, which is being supervised by Director General Dr. Hossein Chaghomi.
Every year in Khana Farhang, colorful stalls are also set up in this regard, in which Shab-e-Yalda is depicted, in that a large number of people from all schools of thought participate and enjoy this ancient civilization and culture of Iran.
In fact the government of Iran and the Department of Culture have kept this ancient festival alive with great excellence. This is the reason why centuries have passed but still the color of this ancient festival remains which Iranians are definitely proud of and why not should they be proud. In fact they deserve it because they have preserved their ancient civilization throughout the ages.
This is the reason why it has the honor of being the only ancient civilized nation in today’s modern world and as long as Iran remains on the map of the world, its civilization will survive because this tough nation loves its history.
This national spirit is a great amen of the development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. If you look at it Iran has burned out from its historical achievements in the true sense. That is why it is enhancing its skills in all fields, including space science.
