Yalda Night: Defeating Darkness with Poetry and Pomegranates

On the longest and darkest night of the year (Winter Solstice), Iranians celebrate "Yalda." Instead of dreading the long night, we stay awake together with family and friends until sunrise. We gather around a cozy table (Korsi) and eat red foods symbolizing life and the sunو especially pomegranates and watermelons. But the most magical part is reading Hafez, our great 14th-century poet. We randomly open his book of poems, and the first verse we read is believed to be our fortune for the coming year. It’s a beautiful night of deep conversations, poetry, and hope

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