21 december 2021
Winter Solstice
Yalda celebrated in Iran
Iran is 8 1/2 hours time zones away from Miami. So i was able to enjoy the feasts and getting together of the families there even though I do not know them.
I decided to devote the day today thinking about the philosophy behind Yalda and also the long and glorious history of Iran and the possibility of a friendship between Israel and Iran which is inevitable, happening earlier than we would imagine.
the morning began well here, this time of the year, the days are extremely pleasant, occasionally interrupted by rain, none today. Thank you Clouds, for respecting Yalda, the fire lighting up the skies
My Omaha Indian friends sent this picture to me this morning and to me it represented the fire of Yalda , the longest night of the year.
Originating in the pre-Zoroastrian tradition of worship of Mithra, the God of Sun, but popularized by Zoroastrians, Yalda, also referred to as Chelleh, celebrates the sunrise after the longest night of the year. Ancient Persians believed that evil forces were strongest on the longest and darkest night of the year.
Red the colour of fire and passion
the colour of light extinguishing the darkness
While the Persian families were rejoicing, I was in Miami, imagining them and taking great pleasure
A very leisurely lunch at a Thai resto nearby. I wanted a very spicy thai dish, so I had Massaman Shrimp curry..
Pomegranate features prominently during this long night and I was surprised to find what I could find in the house with Pomegranate in it and even had a Pomegranate fruit.. still unopened.
They are of course selling in the Nouveau Health salons, extracts of Pomegranate seeds and even a Probiotic drink with Pomegranate in it .
I am not sure what benefits these supplements have on our bodies but obviously there is a great demand for it. But I felt happy with their symbolic presence in the house on this day/night of Yalda
The sun was setting, fairly early this time of the year, the longest night of the year arrived in Miami without much fanfare. I thought of my dear friends all over the world and wanted to be with all of them..
My younger brother from Israel, sent me the link to the Persian radio and video station from Israel.
http://www.radioran.co.il/en
which has a large following in Iran. This is a farsi radio station broadcast from Israel.
There are lots of artists of Iranian origin in Israel and some of them are popular in Iran as well. I got this video today.
To all my friends in Iran, from the one that I met in Iran and others who introduced me to Shamlou, Farookhzad,Nafisi and hundred others.. Films, Literature and music .. modern and classical .. from various provinces, some even pre-persian and not to forget our friends Azeri and Kurd Iranians.
As the noted historian of Islam, Bernard Lewis has written: A civilization can advance only when they give equal rights to the women and the minorities in their societies
This has been a wonderful YALDA for me..
I had written about Yalda in 2014..
https://medicoanthropologist.blogspot.com/2014/12/yalda-in-iran-israel-loves-iran.html
