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EveryParampara

Next: 21 Dec 2026

Yalda Night

The longest night of the year: pomegranates, watermelon, nuts and the poems of Hafez read by family together.

Yalda Night
Photo: M.Sadegh Nikgostar/Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When is Yalda Night in 2026?

Yalda Night 2026 is on Monday, 21 December 2026. Other years: 2027, Tuesday, 21 December 2027; 2028, Wednesday, 20 December 2028.

About Yalda Night

Shab-e Yalda, also called Shab-e Chelleh, is the winter solstice night, when the sun's light is weakest and then begins to return. Persian families stay awake together until dawn, gathering at the home of the eldest relative. They eat red fruits, pomegranate and watermelon, which are saved from summer, symbolising the glow of dawn and life. They also serve dried fruits, nuts and sweets. A custom is to open a copy of the Divan of Hafez at random and read the poem to see what the future may hold. Elders tell stories and riddles, and some play card games. In Afghanistan and Tajikistan the night is also celebrated, while in Armenia and Azerbaijan related solstice customs are kept. UNESCO has listed it.

Yalda Night dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

YearYalda Night date
2026Monday, 21 December 2026
2027Tuesday, 21 December 2027
2028Wednesday, 20 December 2028

What is eaten

  • pomegranate
  • watermelon
  • ajil
  • sweets

Traditions of Yalda Night

Winter solsticeThe astronomical event.

Also part of it, and being written: Hafez (The poet whose book is consulted.), Pomegranate (The red fruit of the night.).

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Yaldā Night" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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