- This event has passed.
Shabe Yalda Celebration
December 21, 2022 @ 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Event Navigation
Shabe Yalda, or Yalda night, is an evening of festivities and merriment that begins when the sun sets on the last day of fall (last day of Maah e Azar on Jalali Calendar) and continues until the dawn of the first day of winter, or first day of Maah e Dey.
During this night, Persians read the enchanting poems by Hafez حافظ and great Persian mythology such as Shahnameh شاهنامه , Khosro va Shireen خسرو و شیرین, and Leili va Majnoon لیلی و مجنون making this otherwise cold winter night a delightful gathering with family and friends. Yalda is a night full of hope for the future.
There is a saying in Farsi that goes something like this: I wish you a long and happy life like Shabe Yalda, sweet as watermelon and fruitful as pomegranates!
We’ll have a guest speaker explain more of the history and traditions behind Shabe Yalda, and then we’ll move upstairs for a bonfire with snacks and drinks under the stars. Together we’ll all pray for a joyful new year!
If you intend on coming, please take a couple of minutes to complete this short RSVP form. Friends are welcome! Please forward this form so that they can register as well. We look forward to hosting you!
If you would like one of your events or programs considered for inclusion, please contact us here. Items sent at least 2 weeks in advance have a greater likelihood of inclusion. The listing of events is entirely up to the discretion of the IFC. We do not take responsibility for the quality or content of events listed that are not sponsored by us. Furthermore, IFC does not necessarily endorse events listed on the calendar.