TEHRAN - Tehran will hold Yalda festival events across its 22 municipal districts through Sunday, Dec. 21, the head of the Tehran Municipality Tourism Headquarters said.

Amir Ghasemi said the program is being implemented to mark Yalda, also known as Shab-e Yalda or Shab-e Chelleh, which coincides with the winter solstice and the longest night of the year.

Ghasemi noted that the municipality’s tourism activities include promoting urban attractions and reviving traditional customs linked to seasonal occasions.

He said that in recent years the city has organized  a Yalda festival in all districts, featuring themed street settings and exhibitions showcasing regional products and ethnic cultures.

Ghasemi said this year’s festival has been organized in a different format following new planning.

In District 12, the festival is being held as a conceptual exhibition at Mashq Square in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of Art, he said.

In District 1, the program is organized with the Niavaran’s palace complex administration and Khorasan residents, featuring ethnic music groups, traditional storytelling and Shahnameh recitations, Ghasemi said.

He added that in District 3, Yalda events are underway at Mellat Park, including ethnic tents and performances by various artistic groups.

Ghasemi underlined that the Yalda festival will continue in all 22 districts through Yalda night, with participation from tourism associations and non-governmental groups.

Yalda marks the winter solstice and is observed in Iran on the night of Dec. 21, when families and friends traditionally gather to share food and conversation, often eating fruits and nuts such as watermelon and pomegranate, which are commonly associated with the coming of light and renewal after darkness.

In 2022, UNESCO added Yalda Night to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting its significance as a cornerstone of Persian culture and tradition. Yalda’s roots trace back thousands of years, possibly to the second millennium BC, and even, according to some sources, earlier to the fourth millennium BC. In Zoroastrian tradition, the night represented the peak of darkness and the forces of evil.

Yalda Night is also celebrated across Greater Iran, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, and parts of Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

AM