What is Yalda Night?

Yalda Night, or Shab-e Yalda (also spelled Shabe Yalda), marks the longest night of the year in Iran and in many other Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. On the winter solstice, 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 “night-grazing,” or shab-chera in Persian. Indeed, grazing and snacking is the best way to stay energized on Yalda Night, 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 Night, 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, a rich dip of olives brightened with a fruity tartness. The dish is from the north, the Caspian Sea area, where tart flavors are popular. I find this dip to be incredible, and very unique — and it goes equally well scooped on a sturdy potato chip as it does slathered on a piece of tender flatbread.

Red beans are used often in Persian cooking, and in my recipe for Lubia Pokhteh, a chunky red bean dip, they get a boost from dark caramelized onions, a cornerstone of Persian dishes — especially vegetarian ones, in which their concentrated umami provides a well-rounded flavor. The onions give the chunky dip its personality, so it’s worth taking the half hour or so to cook them down to their sweet, dark essence. For maximum flavor, I like to make the dip a day or two before Yalda Night, to give the flavors time to meld. If you can find them (or feel like making them yourself), serve the dip with a traditional Iranian flatbread like barbari or lavash. Pita bread or naan work fine too.

Snacks like these make the longest night of the year a cause for celebration.