Politics in Contemporary Art and Literature in Iran, IWSF Conference and ISAA election results

At a glance :

TODAY : “Politics in Contemporary Art and Literature in Iran”
"The Essential Needs of Iranian Woman Today"
2008-2009 ISAA's Board of Directors Election Results
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What : “Politics in Contemporary Art and Literature in Iran”

“Berkeley Lecture Series” in partnership with “Iranian Student Alliance in America – ISAA” presents :

A Talk by Mansour Koushan
Topic: Politics in Contemporary Art and Literature in Iran

MANSOUR KOUSHAN author, playwright, journalist, and director of films and plays is the artistic manager of the Sulberg Theatre in Stavanger, Norway. He has published poetry, short stories, several novels, hundreds of analytical essays and more than thirty plays.

Born in Isfahan, Iran, Mansour started his literary activities in 1968 by publishing a collection of his poetry and directing his play at Isfahan University. As a member of the Iranian Writers Association general assembly, he was on the organizing committee for the famous “134 Iranian writers declaration 1994”.

Mansour Koushan has been the editor in chief of four independent literary publications including "Takapoo" and “Adineh” between 1987 and 1997. He currently lives in Norway.

When: Sunday, June 8, 2008, 3:00 P.M.
Where: 110 Barrows Hall University of California, Berkeley

Lecture in Persian
Suggested Donation: $10.00
No donation expected from students
ASUC Sponsored.
Wheelchair Accessible.

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What: "The Essential Needs of Iranian Woman Today"

ISAA is proud to be a co-sponsor of The 19th International Women's Studies Foundation Conference in UC Berkeley.


Despite a myriad of social and legal setbacks in the last thirty years wherein Iranian women lost many of the rights they had attained in the past 100 years, they have continuously strived to improve their social and political status.

Consequently they have established their presence in different spheres of life, particularly that of civil society.

This conference will examine the socio-political needs of the Iranian woman in regards to ethnicity, gender, religion, class background, sexuality, and sexual orientation.

Where : Wheeler Auditorium, University of California, Berkeley

When : July 4 - 6 ( for complete hour by hour program please see http://www.iwsf. org/bk19/ program.html )

Paid registration is required for this event. For information on how to register and for different registration packages please visit http://www.iwsf.org/bk19/registration.html

ASUC sponsored
Wheelchair accessible.


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2008-2009 ISAA's Board of Directors Election Results and End of the year Thank you's

The votes have been tallied and the results are in! Farshid Faraji, Samira Ghasemi, and Linda Khamoushian will be joining the ISAA's Board of Directors on August 21st for the start of their term. Fren Khadivian has been re-elected to the board for another term. A hearty congratulations to each of them!

Before getting to detailed election result, we would like to recognize the outgoing Board of Directors and give them a special thanks for the outstanding job they did. We appreciate all the hard work and dedication they exhibited during their time as officers.

This year as the graduation season approaches, we will say goodbye to ISAA directors Navid R. Khadem, Golnaz Nouri and Shahrzad Rahbar.

End of this summer marks the 4th year that Shahrzad has been involved with ISAA. She had Molecular and Environmental Biology as her major and served for 2 years as the Finance Director/Officer , a year as the Publicity Director and also another year as a Board Member. She has spent countless hours of her time for ISAA over the past years and she will be missed.

Golnaz, a Molecular and Cell Biology major, joined the ISAA leadership team as the Resources Director last year. Her contributions to ISAA helped the organization a lot and she will be missed .

Navid, a Computer Science major and an Applied Math minor, became involved with ISAA as a Board Member 3 years ago during his first semester, and got assigned as the Communications Director/Officer the following semester. He has been serving as the president of ISAA during his last two years at UC Berkeley. We wish all our graduating officers all the best for their futures and want them to know that their generous contributions and hard work will always be remembered.

Running ISAA wouldn't have been possible without Jazzi Junge who served as last year's Finance Officer. Jazzi was our Resources Director the year before and we wish her the best and a great senior year at Berkeley.

We would like to also thank Amir Abadi and Keyan Keihani who have co-thought ISAA's popular Decal Course on Iran during last academic year. They have contributed greatly by raising awareness of Iran among the Iranians and the general Cal community.

We would like to thank ISAA's continuing board members ,directors, committees' chairs and advisors and recognize their support, extraordinary efforts and dedicated service for upholding the standards and ideals of the Iranian Student Alliance in America.

We would also like to thank all the wonderful people who generously contribute their personal funds, their time, services, and products to ISAA. Since ISAA's birth, your generous support has helped ISAA be one of the most respected and most successful organizations on Berkeley campus and among the Iranian community in the U.S.

Lastly, we would like to acknowledge all our members, new and old, and thank them for continuing to support our organization. We appreciate your comments and encourage your participation in keeping ISAA's events lively and informative.

By the end of this summer we will have held 25 events this year to further the goals stated in ISAA's mission statement. The new ISAA Website which will be lunched in late July will have an events page that will let you to see all the past events we have held during the past few years. All of these events wouldn't have been possible without your support.
So a big THANK YOU to you!

And finally here is the results for the ISAA election of 2008-2009. Congratulations to the new Board of Directors!


Fren Khadivian Co-President
Linda Khamoushian Co-President
Samira Ghasemi Communications Director
Farsheed Faraji Publicity Director
VACANT Finance Director
VACANT Resources Director

*The vacant officer positions will be filled as soon as possible through a democratic process open to ISAA's active members.
*The new Board of Directors will choose a maximum of 15 active members to be on the 2008-2009 ISAA’s board.

ISAA Game Night

What : ISAA Game Night

Come to our Game Night to mingle, have fun, play your favorite games, eat and drink and learn about ISAA.

It is a sad realization that many are leaving our community, but a tinge of sweetness enters one's senses when thinking of when we will see them next, and the great things our amazing seniors will accomplish once they are out in the world.

This will be the last time for many of us to see our graduating seniors. For one last time we can share stories, laughs, and tears.

So join us to celebrate with our seniors and relax or take a break before finals kick in.

Backgammon boards, playing cards , video games, Snacks and Drinks will be available in addition to live DJ and more surprises.

If you have a favorite board, card or video game, please feel free to bring them to share with the group.

This event is free and open to the public.

ASUC Sponsored.

When: Saturday, May 3rd @ 6PM
Where: Persian Center at 2029 Durant Ave, Berkeley Map

If you have any questions regarding this event, please email
isaa at isaa.berkeley.edu

ISAA Movie Night

What : ISAA Movie Night

Mehman-e Maman (Persian: مهمان مامان, English: Mother's Guest)

Mehman-e Maman is an Iranian family comedy film directed by Dariush Mehrjui.

It is based on a book of the same name by Iranian author, Houshang Moradi Kermani. It was commissioned by Sima Film. It did very well at the Iranian box office and won a number of prizes at the 22nd Fajr Film Festival.

Plot :

The movie begins when Mrs. Effat (Golab Adineh), a mother of two, receives word that her nephew and his wife are going to be visiting. Despite not being wealthy, Mr. Effat tries to prepare a respectable dinner party with the help of her cinema loving husband, Mr. Effat (Hassan Pourshirazi) and her two children. Amir and Bahareh. Meanwhile the Effat's drug addict neighbor, Yusuf (Parsa Pirouzfar) is desperate for some drugs after his wife has flushed his stash down the toilet. The eccentric old lady (Farideh Sepah-Mansour) who takes care of her chickens is also not making things much easier...

When: Thursday, May 1st @ 8PM
Where: 185 Barrows, UC Berkeley Campus

This event is free and open to the public.

ASUC Sponsored.

Wheelchair Accessible

http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?eid=15224107046

How the Iranian Revolution Secularized Islam : Towards a New Conception of Secularism

What : How the Iranian Revolution Secularized Islam : Towards a New Conception of Secularism

Religion, Politics and Globalization Program (RPGP) along with the Iranian Student Alliance in America (ISAA) and the Institute of International Studies proudly present a lecture on How the Iranian Revolution Secularized Islam.

Who : Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi is an Assistant Professor of History and Sociology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, who specializes in transnational and global histories in the Middle Eastern postcolonial context. He studies social movements and intellectual articulations of Islamic conceptions of modernity.

His forthcoming book, entitled Islam and Dissent in Post revolutionary Iran: Abdolkarim Soroush and the Religious Foundations of Political Reform, is due to be released by I. B. Tauris in Fall 2008.

When : Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 5 p.m.

Where : 223 Moses Hall, UC Berkeley Campus

No admission charge and open to the public

ASUC sponsored and wheelchair accessible

Sponsored by the Religion, Politics and Globalization Program (RPGP)

Co-sponsored by the Iranian Student Alliance in America (ISAA) and the Institute of International Studies

Call to Action : Google Earth includes 'Arabian Gulf' on the map

It has come to our attention that Google Earth recently included the term "Arabian Gulf" on maps where the body of water, historically and contemporarily known as the Persian Gulf, is located. The Iranian Student Alliance in America (ISAA) stands unequivocally opposed to any misuse of accepted and accurate references to the aforementioned body of water, a practice which has proven throughout history to have been a tool for spreading dissention and encouraging instability in the region and beyond.

If you don't have Google Earth installed on you computer, you can view a screenshot of the software at ISAA's website here : http://isaa.berkeley.edu/actions/googleearth.jpg

We kindly ask our members to please take action by sending an email to press@google.com , contact Google Earth directly via their help center form located at http://earth.google.com/support/bin/request.py?&extra.customer=GEFree&contact_type=data

or sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/sos02082/petition.html .

For your convenience you can use the following text which was forwarded to us by a member.

Dear Google,

This is in regards to the recent Google Earth Version where the incorrect and erroneous term Arabian gulf, was used to identify the Persian Gulf .

Please be advised that the internationally, historically and geographically correct name for the body of water situated south of Iran between Iran and Saudi Arabia is the Persian Gulf . The only body of water that can reasonably be called the "Arabian Gulf" is the " Red Sea ". The Persian Gulf has no other internationally recognized name.

The historically and geographically correct name of Persian Gulf has been endorsed by the United Nations on many occasions. The last UN Directive endorsing the name of the Persian Gulf was Directive reference ST/CS/SER.A/29/Add.2 on August 18th 1994.

There is no room for politics in the world of geography, nor should Google pander to any special group. I hope that you will take the necessary steps to correct the prejudiced and false name in the Google Earth Version.

I must now urge you to correct the mistake on Google Earth Version site as a matter of urgency. I shall wait your affirmative response.

Kind Regards,

For further information consult the following links:

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/gegn23wp61.pdf
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/westasia.pdf
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/iran.pdf

http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/maplib/docs/escwa.pdf

The arrival of the following book is very timely especially when Google Earth fails to search the truth and chooses to call it Arabian Gulf.

The Persian Gulf : Its Past and Present which was in the making for nearly 8 years can also be a great resource to educate others.

You can help by ordering a copy for yourself, or for your local public or school library.

The Persian Gulf: Its Past and Present
http://www.mazdapublisher.com/BookDetails.aspx?BookID=191

By Prof. Svat Soucek

The Persian Gulf is a unique geographical phenomenon whose role in human affairs began in remote antiquity and has continued to our own day. Traditionally, this role was due to the place it occupies as an avenue of cultures and trade; today, as the site of a resource vital not only for the inhabitants of the countries along its shores but for much of the modem world. The Persian Gulf's unique geostrategic position further enhances its present importance.

A simple enumeration of the countries sharing the Persian Gulf's coasts and waters offers an evocative panorama of contemporary history: Iran, with the longest shoreline and some of the busiest ports along the northeastern coast; Iraq at the head of the Persian Gulf, then Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. All these countries, in varying degrees, are blessed with vast oil reserves lying along the coasts both under the ground on land and below the sea bottom. It is this vital resource that has propelled the Persian Gulf into the limelight of world events, and the story of its discovery, development and struggle over its exploitation makes for fascinating reading. It began almost a century ago, when in 1908 British prospectors struck oil at the Persian site of Suleymaniye. For nearly two generations, until the early 1950s, the province of Khuzistan was the center of production, processing and exporting oil, and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company had the lion's share of this lucrative business.

Geologists rightly suspected, however, that oil deposits might exist in many other parts of the Persian Gulf area. During the 1930s, a number of finds were made on the Arab side from Iraq all the way to Oman.

This time mainly American companies seized the initiative, but until World War II production remained relatively modest The war and the quickened pace of consumption in the industrial world, especially in the USA, led to further development of these sources, but the main stimulus for the sudden and vertiginous development of oil wells on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf was came from the drama of Iran's

attempt to acquire a fairer share of its wealth. Great Britain and the United States thwarted Dr. Mossadegh's heroic struggle, and in the process the production and export of oil from Iran was temporarily halted.

That in turn created a windfall for the companies exploiting the oil fields on the Arab side, and their prospectors discovered still more deposits whose yield has led to today's fabulous wealth of Saudi Arabia and the other principalities along the Persian Gulf.
This book hopes to offer a balanced version of the history of the Persian Gulf.

The story itself is presented in the natural and anthropological context of the subject.

Young Voices from Iran Screening

What : Young Voices from Iran screening followed by Q&A with Nooshin Navidi and Jason Rezaian

ISAA proudly presents : Young Voices from Iran

Two short films about post-revolutionary Iran from Iranian-American Perspectives:

Young Republic (Nooshin J. Navidi, 30 minutes) - 70 percent of Iran is under 30 years old. Reflective and lyrical, In Young Republic, Iranian American filmmaker engages in dialogues with students and young people of Iran.

Playful conversations turn into heated debates, and humorous stories lend insight into the how the young republic hopes to shape the future of Iran.

( http://www.nooshin.net)

A World Between (Nezam Manouchehri, 56 minutes) - Iranian-American journalist, Jason Rezaian, travels to Iran to discover his father's homeland. As he travels across the country, in each place we meet his friends and relatives who help form a representative view of Iranians rarely seen in the West.

( http://aworldbetween.com/about.asp)

When : Monday, February 25, 2008 7PM, showtime will be prompt

Where : 100 Genetics and Plant Biology Bldg (GPB) , UC Berkeley Campus

Tickets : $3 at the door ( no one turned away for lack of funds )

View the full size event poster

ISAA's 2nd BBQ Social

What : ISAA's 2nd BBQ Social

Come along to the ISAA's 2nd BBQ Social to socialize with the rest of ISAA َُُmembers. Catch up with old friends or make new ones. With BBQ chicken, sodas, chips and your favorite card games, this mighty feast is hard to miss.

When : Saturday, February 9, 2008 5pm

Where : Persian Center ( 2029 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA )

ISAA Presents : Bam 6.6 screening and Q&A with Director/Producer, Mr. Jahangir Golestan Parast

What: Screening of Bam 6.6 , Humanity has no borders

Bam 6.6 is the story of the human condition. The film weaves together stories of survival, loss, and healing, as we explore the humanity of the Iranian people through the prism of the devastating 2003 earthquake that struck at the heart of Bam, an ancient Iranian village.

Bam 6.6 subjects come from different walks of life - A Jewish-American woman, an American businessman, and the Iranian residents of Bam.

Through their experiences, viewers will witness how a natural disaster can overcome religious and political barriers, dispel stereotypes, and unite disparate members of the human family.

Screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director and producer of the film, Mr. Jahangir Golestan Parast .

Synopsis :

BAM 6.6 transcends geopolitical differences with a simple message of love and hope amidst tragedy, unfolding through the story of two young American victims of this devastating earthquake. Set against a backdrop of death and destruction, BAM 6.6 captures the indomitable will of the human spirit and the pervasive and altruistic culture of Iranian hospitality, kindness and generosity.

Veteran film producer/director Jahangir Golestan-Parast, visually captures the horrendous destruction that took 50,000 lives and left tens of thousands injured, orphaned and homeless. Eschewing a sterile narration, Golestan tells the story of tragedy and resurrection through sequential and emotional interviews that allow viewers to draw their own conclusions on a first-hand basis.

BAM 6.6 introduces you to Tobb and Adele, the American tourists buried in the rubble, as you experience the personal and medical hospitality extended to Adele and her parents following Tobb's death. You will meet tour guide Farzaneh Khatame, who selflessly stayed with the American couple throughout their ordeal. You will experience the Iranian children as they find the inner resources to prevail over such overwhelming loss and destruction. You will come to realize the sacrifices made by Jilla Kashef as she works to help these children overcome their vulnerability and begin a journey of recovery.

Jahnagir's love of the ancient culture and architecture of Iran, formerly known as Persia, has been evidenced by his prior works: “Esfahan, a City Known as Half the World” and “Iran, a Video Journey”. After the Bam earthquake, that love became a consuming passion to convey the true essence of Iranians, as manifested in their heroic efforts to survive and recover from this horrific calamity. Divested of ethnicity, nationality, religion, politics, age and gender, Jahangir tells the story of human love, concern, service and hospitality in hopes that future peace can evolve through understanding, knowledge and education. Jahangir prevailed in bringing this film to fruition during a difficult three and a half year journey that included the mortgaging of his home to shore up dwindling financial resources, numerous setbacks and discouragement.

The ruins of the 2,000-year-old Citadel may portray the outward face of the earthquake, but Bam 6.6 portrays the magnificent inner strengths of love, hope, kindness and human commonality. As reviewer Brian Appleton stated, “I assumed it would put me in tears…I certainly did not think that it would bring any joy.”

Bam 6.6 is an educational journey into human understanding!

When : Thursday, Feb 21st 7-10PM, The screening is 56 minutes long , followed by Q&A with the Director/Producer, Mr. Jahangir Golestan Parast

Where : 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley Campus

Tickets : $2 at the door

View the Movie Trailer for Bam 6.6

Read more about the story and the background of Bam 6.6

View the full size event poster

ISAA's Spring 2008 First General Meeting

What : ISAA's Spring 2008 first general meeting

ISAA would like to welcome all incoming and returning students for the Spring 2008 semester! ISAA officers have a lot of events planned for the upcoming semester so be sure to attend our Spring General Meeting.

ISAA will be having it's first general meeting of Spring 2008 next Tuesday at 7 PM in 151 Barrows.

Come to the meeting next Tuesday to :

• Meet the Officers

• Sign-up to be on ISAA’s Board

• Learn about ISAA’s events

• Get involved

• Signup to Write for Goftegoo

• Have some Pizza

• Buy ISAA’s T-shirts and Hoodies

• Meet new people

• Signup to play for ISAA's soccer team

• Let us know of your suggestions, questions, or concerns

When : Tuesday, February 5, 2008 7pm

Where : 151 Barrows Hall

ISAA's Decal : IRAN: 28 YEARS of REVOLUTION

IRAN: 28 YEARS of REVOLUTION

Time: Tuesdays 6-8
Place: 2 Le Conte
Units: 2 Units, P/NP

Registration Info : http://www.decal.org/iran

Description :

After one semester of absence, Spring of 2008 marks the eighth semester that ISAA is offering its popular, informative and interesting course on Iran. This course is an introduction to contemporary Iranian politics (within the larger context of the Middle East).

This course serves as an introduction to modern Iranian politics in which no prior knowledge of Iran or of the greater Middle East is required. It follows the events leading up to the Islamic Revolution and describes the outcomes that have spiraled into the headlines of today. Key topics of discussion include the coup d'etat against Prime Minister Mossadegh (1953), the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Iranian Revolution (1979), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Reform Movement (1997), and the recent rise of the radical movement led by Ahmadinejad (2005). Important current events to be covered will be Iran's nuclear program, Iran's role in Iraq, and the Shia-Sunni divide in the Middle East. Documentaries, films, guest lectures, participation in the class blog, and class discussions are integral parts of this decal.

No prior knowledge of Iran or the Middle East is required for this course.

Annual Shab-e Yalda Celebration in Berkeley

What : Annual Shab-e Yalda Celebration in Berkeley

Persian Center invites all friends of ISAA to attend another celebration of 'Yalda', the longest night of the year. Persian Center's ANNUAL SHAB-E YALDA Celebration is tonight, FRIDAY, Dec 21st at 7 pm.

Music performances by SHAMS ENSEMBLE & Heydari Ensemble,

Dance performances by Niosha Dance Academy & ROSA,

Fal-e Hafez,

Traditional light dinner with Ash, Ajeel, Anar,and Hendevaneh,

and DJ DANCING with DJ Alireza.

When : Friday, December 21st at 7 pm

Where : GAIA Art Center (http://www.gaiaarts.com)

2120 Allston Way Berkeley, CA

($3 Validated Parking at Allston Garage on 2061 Allston Way, between Milvia and Shattuck)

Tickets : $20, $10 for student w/valid ID.

For more info call 510-848-0264.

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About Shab-e Yalda

Millions of Iranians all over the world Friday night will celebrate `Yalda', the longest night of the year and the first night of winter as a token of victory of the angel of goodness over the devil of badness and the victory of light over darkness. Shabe Yalda marks the beginning of winter. It is a tradition amongst Iranians that family and friends gather together and stay up throughout the night to cherish the ambience of togetherness.
Nuts and fruits, both fresh and dried, are served on Yalda night. Fruit is the sign of divine blessing. The 6,000-year tradition revives the spirit of affection, kindness and togetherness in families. Since Shabe Yalda is the longest and darkest night, it has come to symbolize many things in both Persian poetry and culture, such as separation from a loved one, loneliness, and waiting. After Shabe Yalda, however, a transformation takes place -- the waiting is over, light shines and goodness prevails, which is a turning point as the days start to grow longer. "With all my pains, there is still the hope of recovery Like the eve of Yalda, there will finally be an end." ~ Sa’adi, Persian poet Yalda, a Syriac word imported into the Persian language by the Syriac Christians means birth and it refer to the birth of sun. Romans called it Natalis Anviktos, the birth of unbeatable. It is a relatively recent arrival and it is also referred to as "Shab-e Cheleh", a celebration of Winter Solstice on December 21st.
In most ancient cultures, including Persia, the start of the solar year has been marked to celebrate the victory of light over darkness and the renewal of the Sun. The Persians adopted their annual renewal festival from the Babylonians and incorporated it into the rituals of their own Zoroastrian religion. The last day of the Persian month Azar is the longest night of the year, when the forces of Ahriman are assumed to be at the peak of their strength. While the next day, the first day of the month "Day" known as "khoram rooz" or "khore rooz" (the day of sun) belongs to Ahuramazda, the Lord of Wisdom. Since the days are getting longer and the nights shorter, this day marks the victory of the rising sun as the symbol of 'Ahuramazda', the Zoroastrian god, over the evil of darkness . The occasion was celebrated in the festival of "Daygan" dedicated to Ahuramazda, on the first day of the month "Day". Ancient Iranians believed that the beginning of the year marked with the re-emergence or rebirth of the sun which coincided with the first day of the month of `Dey' when sun was salvaged from the claws of the devil of darkness and gradually spread its domination over the world. People had developed the idea that the longest night of the year, when the evil of darkness found an opportunity to stay longer, was an inauspicious occasion and, therefore, they would gather together and stay awake the whole night by holding celebrations and lighting fire in order to leave behind the ominous night. They would try to keep the fire lit all through the night and the person in charge of the task was called 'Atropat' or the 'guardian of fire' who used to have a religious rank in ancient Persia. Fires would be burnt all night to ensure the defeat of the forces of Ahriman. There would be feasts, acts of charity and a number of deities were honored and prayers performed to ensure the total victory of sun that was essential for the protection of winter crops. There would be prayers to Mithra (Mehr) and feasts in his honor, since Mithra is the Eyzad responsible for protecting "the light of the early morning", known as "Havangah". It was also assumed that Ahuramazda would grant people's wishes, specially those with no offspring had the hope to be blessed with children if performed all rites on this occasion.

One of the themes of the festival was the temporary subversion of order. Masters and servants reversed roles. The king dressed in white would change place with ordinary people. A mock king was crowned and masquerades spilled into the streets. As the old year died, rules of ordinary living were relaxed. This tradition persisted till Sassanid period, and is mentioned by Biruni and others in their recordings of pre-Islamic rituals and festivals. Its' origin goes back to the Babylonian New Year celebration.

These people believed the first creation was order that came out of chaos. To appreciate and celebrate the first creation they had a festival and all roles were reversed. Disorder and chaos ruled for a day and eventually order was restored and succeeded at the end of the festival.

It is not clear when and how the word "Yalda" entered the Persian language. The massive persecution of the early Christians in Rome brought many Christian refugees into the Sassanid Empire and it is very likely that these Christians introduced and popularized "Yalda" in Iran. Gradually "Shab-e Yalda" and "Shab-e Cheleh" became synonymous and the two are used interchangeably.

With the conquest of Islam the religious significance of the ancient Persian festivals was lost. However, apart from its religious and traditional characteristics, 'Yalda' has long been observed in the Iranian culture as the longest night of the year. Today "Shab-e Cheleh" is merely a social occasion, when family and friends get together for fun and merriment. Different kinds of dried fruits, nuts, seeds and fresh winter fruits are consumed. The presence of dried and fresh fruits is reminiscence of the ancient feasts to celebrate and pray to the deities to ensure the protection of the winter crops. On this night, all members of the family stay together, narrate old stories, play traditional games and eat dried fruits and candies. The fruits that are specially served at this night are sweet melon, water melon, grapes and pomegranates. Fruits are symbol of spring and a summer loaded with agricultural bounties. Pomegranates, placed on top of a fruit basket, are reminders of the cycle of life -- the rebirth and revival of generations. The purple outer covering of a pomegranate symbolizes "birth" or "dawn" and their bright red seeds the "glow of life." Watermelons, apples, grapes, melons and persimmon are other special fruits served on Yalda night and all are symbols of freshness, warmth, love, kindness and happiness. Another tradition that is massively observed on the night of Yalda is reading poems of the highly revered Iranian poet 'Hafez'.