Yalda Night or Chelle Night is an Iranian Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice festival celebrated on the
"longest and darkest night of the year." According to the calendar, this corresponds to the night of
December 20/21 (±1) in the Gregorian calendar, and to the night between the last day of the ninth month
(Azar) and the first day of the tenth month (Dey) of the Iranian solar calendar.
The festival is celebrated in Iran and other historically Persian-influenced regions, including Azerbaijan,
Afghanistan and Tajikistan.The longest and darkest night of the year is a time when friends and family
gather together to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafez) and the Shahnameh until well after
midnight. Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are