TEHRAN – Nahavand in Hamedan province has held its first persimmon harvesting festival, an event aimed at promoting and reviving local traditions and showcasing the region’s cultural and social capacities.

Announcing this, Head of Nahavand Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Mohsen Janjan told Miras Aria (CHTN) that while most cities, including Nahavand, have turned into apartments with small spaces, there are still old garden courtyards that give a special freshness to this city. 

This program was held with the aim of reviving the old tradition of harvesting autumn fruits in the courtyards of old gardens with mulberry, apple, pear, walnut and persimmon trees, some of which are over 100-year-old, he pointed out. 

He said that there are more than 120 old garden courtyards in Nahavand with old trees, the area of which ranges from 200 to 1,000 square meters. 

During the fall and when the weather gets cold, persimmons ripen, and people, based on an old tradition and belief, consider this fruit a symbol of stability, resistance, and unity against the hardships of life, he added.

Janjan continued that people who have old garden courtyards donate this fruit to neighbors and poor people after harvesting it as one of the best fruits of Yalda Night, and this creates a sense of friendship and affection among the locals.

Janjan also said that in addition to many old garden courtyards, activities such as baking local bread in a corner of the courtyard with an oven, weaving carpets, kilims, and jajims, giveh weaving, brewing tea, and making yogurt, doogh, and local butter have been carried out.

Persimmons are a delicious and nutritious fruit that often flies under the radar. Known for their vibrant orange color and unique flavor, these fruits pack a powerful punch of vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. Whether you eat them fresh, dry them, or use them in recipes.

KD