TEHRAN – A festival dedicated to Yalda night (Shab-e Chelleh), one of the most celebrated Persian traditional events, which marks the longest night of the year, is currently underway at the Sadabad Cultural-Historical Complex in northern Tehran.

Recitations from great Persian poets such as Ferdowsi and Hafez, poppet shows, and music performances are parts of the event, IRNA reported on Monday.

In conjunction with Yalda night, the festival will come to an end on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, at the 17th session of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which was held in Morocco, Yalda night gained UNESCO status jointly with Iran and Afghanistan.

Yalda refers to a traditional celebration of the sun and the warmth of life. Practiced in Iran and Afghanistan, the event takes place the last night of autumn, when families gather at the houses of elders and sit around a table adorned with a series of symbolic objects and foods: a lamp to symbolize light, water to represent cleanliness, and red fruits such as pomegranates, watermelons, beetroots, jujube, and grapes to symbolize warmth.

Broth, sweets, dried fruits, and nuts that are used specifically for the occasion are also set on the table and consumed during the gathering. Activities range from reciting poetry and storytelling to playing games and music and giving gifts to new in-laws, brides, and children. The event celebrates cultural identity, nature, respect for women, friendship, hospitality, cultural diversity, and peaceful coexistence. It is transmitted informally within families, although radio and television programs, publications, social media, and educational materials have also played an important role in transmitting the practice in recent years.

Sprawled on about 110 hectares of a mountainside parkland in northern Tehran, the Sadabad Cultural-Historical Complex used to be a royal summer residence during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras.

ABU/AM