Yalda is on the 21st December this year. As I’m sure you all know, it’s the longest night of the year. The forces of Ahriman are at their peak of their strength. The next day is known as “khoram rooz” or “khore rooz” (the day of sun). It belongs to Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom and, since the days after Yalda are getting longer and the nights shorter, it marks the victory of Sun over the darkness.
I’ve written about Yalda historically here and here.
But this year, I want to remind you that, until Sasanian times, one of the themes of Yalda was the temporary subversion of order.
So I thought I’d include a 3 minute Persian / Iranian comedy video … on cologne and how the Persian Empire has been subverted.
Happy Yalda!