YALDA NIGHT

For this Persian celebration of the winter solstice, late-night snacks are in order.

- LOUISA SHAFIA

DECEMBER 20

SHAB-E YALDA, OR YALDA NIGHT, marks the longest night of the year, and in a tradition that goes back to around 500 B.C., Iranians stay up until dawn to see the new sun that is born in the morning; yalda means "birth" in Persian. To get through the many hours, people gather together and tell stories, seek guidance in the poems of the celebrated Persian poet Hafez, drink hot tea, and, of course, eat.

The ceremony of staying up all night goes by the wonderfully descriptive term "nightgrazing," or shab-chera in Persian. Indeed, grazing and snacking is the best way to stay energized, and the holiday table is set up with that in mind. Picture a candlelit spread with all manner of dried fruits and nuts, bite-size pastries, and glittering platters of fresh fruit.

Red is the color of Yalda, and red pomegranates and watermelons are the stars of the Yalda menu, their vibrant color symbolizing life and warmth during a cold, dreary season. With their broad versatility, pomegranates on the Yalda table may appear in stew, rice, or a condiment, like in my recipe for Zeytoon Parvardeh (recipe at right), a rich dip of olives brightened with a fruity tartness that goes equally well scooped on a sturdy potato chip as it does slathered on a piece of tender flatbread.