Iranians celebrate Yalda festival

IRANIANS of all religions and walks of life mark the ancient Persian festival of Yalda at the weekend, though many say economic hardships fanned by international sanctions will put a damper on this year’s celebrations.

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Yalda falls on the winter solstice and is characterised by family gatherings and the eating of nuts, sweets and fruits.

“We mostly spend time with our families, our grandparents, aunts, cousins,” Maral Bagherpour, a smiling 16-year-old student, said in northern Tehran's Tajrish Bazaar.

“We take fal-e Hafez, we drink tea or coffee. My grandma sings for us sometimes,” she said.

“Taking fal-e Hafez” is a popular tradition that entails using the works of renowned 14th century Persian poet Hafez, an all-time favourite in Iran, to try to divine the future and deal with difficult situations.

“On Yalda night the whole family gets together in my grandparents’ house. We reminisce about the good old days and eat nuts and fruits that are in season,’ said Mary Goudarzi, 37.