Yalda or the Birthday of Light predates Christmas by thousands of years. The time is the same as the Sun ingress into Capricorn or Day دی ♑, this year at 09:21:14 AM on Saturday 21st December 2024.

Like many celebrations that have changed over the thousands of years, most people in Iran stay up and defeat the darkest night of the year in Iran. People have massive parties with special food.

The occasion is one of the four celebrations at the beginning of each season. The most important one is the Spring festival, as the Sun enters Aries or Farvardin فروردین ♈. The autumn one is based on love, as the Sun enters Libra or Mehr مهر ♎. The Summer festival when the Sun enters Cancer or Tir تیر ♋, is not celebrated by ordinary Iranians, as much as Ahuramazdans as Jashne Tirgan.

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