Shab-e Yalda, also called Shab-e Chella, is the night that closes autumn and opens winter: the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, around 21 December. Chella means a forty-day period, and this night begins the “great chella”, the first forty days of winter. The word yalda is usually traced to Syriac, where it means “birth”.
In Afghanistan, as in Iran, families gather at the homes of their elders and stay up late. The spread features red fruit, pomegranates and watermelon above all, with nuts, dried fruit and sweets; in Herat, dried meat (gosht-e land) is a traditional dish of the night. Elders tell stories, poetry is recited, gifts go to brides and children, and opening the Divan of Hafez for a playful fortune, the fal-e Hafez, is a favourite pastime.
In 2022 UNESCO inscribed Yaldā/Chella, nominated jointly by Afghanistan and Iran, on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as a celebration of the sun and the warmth of life.