Iran eyes to inscribe Yalda on UNESCO heritage

Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism has launched efforts to inscribe Yalda Night on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Many peoples and nations around the world celebrate the winter solstice as the longest night of the year in different ways.

In Iran the winter solstice, starting from the last day of fall till the dawn of the next day, is being celebrated as Yalda Night (Shab-e Yalda) since the ancient times.

The rituals for Yalda include listening to the ancient stories and legends recounted by the elders and  ceremonies such as reading Hafiz and Shahnameh.

People have pomegranate as the symbol of sun and mirth, watermelon as a summer fruit and the reminder of hot summer days, as well as nuts and other refreshments.

It’s believed that the warmth of being together and passing time with the loved ones can eliminate the coldness of winter.

This long-standing tradition has gone beyond the boundaries of Iran and has been discussed as a global intangible heritage, intended to be inscribed  as a UNESCO world heritage in 2021.

The tangible and intangible heritage of each country is considered as its historic identity, and the authorities try to attract more tourists to their countries through inscription of their cultural and historical heritages on global lists.

Given the importance of protecting intangible heritage, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism is making efforts to inscribe Yalda Night on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2021.

Thus far, Iran has managed to inscribe 14 intangible heritages, the last of which has been Iran’s traditional skills of crafting and playing the Dotar (string instrument), registered during the 14th session of Intangible World Heritage Committee in Colombia.

However, it should not be forgotten that people play a vital role in safeguarding the ancient heritage of Yalda. The elderly know many interesting details about various cultures and traditions related to this night and can help the inscription of this heritage as its narrators. Only then the tradition can be transferred to the next generations in an intact and perfect way.

MG/AG