Celebrating Yalda Night - A Joyful Family Gathering

The word Yalda is Syriac, means Birth. The origin of the ceremony dates back to ancient Persia (nowadays Iran), to the time that Mithraism had already influenced Zoroastrian religion. Ancient people believed that Yalda, the longest night of year is the night in which the light overcomes darkness and gives birth to the Sun. That was also considered the reason that days after Yalda would become longer than the days before.