Shabi Chila - The Longest Night of the Year
This Wednesday the 21st of December is the Winter Solstice, which is the longest night of the year. For the Iranian peoples of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and other parts of Central and Southwestern Asia, this night is called Chila or Yalda/Yaldo (Yalda is Farsi, or Irani Persian, and Yaldo is Tajiki Persian). The name "Chila" is derived from the word "chil," which means "forty," because it falls 40 days before the next festival, which is the festival of Sada in January. Periods of 40 days are very significant in Tajik and other Iranian cultures - for example, there is a 40-day period of mourning after a death in the family, a 40-day period of seclusion for a new mother and her newborn child, etc. "Yaldo" is a later word, which is derived from the Aramaic term for "birth." The holiday gets this name because on this day we celebrate the birth of light and its victory over darkness. In the Zoroastrian religion of our ancestors, the world is a battleground between the good, divine force, Urmazd (represented by light, personified by fire), and the force of evil, Ahriman, who is represented by darkness. The two are locked in a constant battle, and on Shabi Chila (shab = night), Ahriman's power is at its zenith because the darkness lasts longer than on any other day. To ward off evil, gatherings of families and friends take place, huge meals are prepared, and activities such as fortune-telling, singing, and dancing take place. In addition, Tajik people light fires, both in their fireplaces and outside, near flowing water. The significance of flowing water is that it is thought to be a conduit between the living and the souls of our ancestors. People also burn "ispand," a holy herb that is used to ward off evil and bring blessings upon the house and those who partake in the ispand ritual. Ispand also derives from our Zoroastrian days, since it comes from the word "spinta," which means "holy" in Avestan, the language of the Zoroastrian holy book. In fact, in our dialect of Tajik, we pronounce the word "spant," rather than "ispand" as it is said in standard Tajik. After years of not celebrating the holiday because I was away from family, I am finally going to a Chila party this year, and I am very excited! I can't wait, and I'm sure I'll have something to say about it in later posts. For all of you out there, whether you are Tajik, Irani, Afghan, or from some other Chila-celebrating culture, or not, Chila is a lot of fun. Light a fire, cook some food, and have your friends over, it's a good excuse for a party!
Photo credit: The photo shows the sun rising over the "apadana" or reception hall of Great Palace at Persepolis, the old seat of the Hakhamonishi (Achaemenid) kings of Persia. This picture comes from http://www.artarena.force9.co.uk/yalda.htm. There is lots of interesting information on Chila/Yaldo and other holidays on this website if you want to learn more.
posted by TojikYor @ 5:54 PM
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