Shahanshahi Calendar
Persian holidays

🍉 Yalda Night

Yalda Night 2026 falls on Monday, 30 Azar 2585 Shahanshahi (30 Azar 1405 Shamsi — December 21, 2026), 163 days from today.

163
days until Yalda Night

About Yalda Night

Yalda Night — Shab-e Chelleh — is the longest night of the year: the last night of autumn, after which the days grow long again. Iranians have kept this vigil for thousands of years, celebrating the victory of light over darkness and the rebirth of the sun.

Families stay up late together: pomegranates and watermelon on the spread, bowls of mixed nuts passed around, and Hafez opened for divination. UNESCO inscribed Yalda on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2022.

Traditions

  • · Pomegranates and watermelon
  • · Hafez divination (fāl-e Hāfez)
  • · Yalda nuts (ājil)
  • · Family vigil past midnight

Upcoming dates

  • Yalda Night 2026Monday، December 21, 2026
  • Yalda Night 2027Tuesday، December 21, 2027
  • Yalda Night 2028Wednesday، December 20, 2028

Frequently asked questions

When is Yalda Night 2026?

Yalda Night 2026 falls on Monday, 30 Azar 2585 Shahanshahi (30 Azar 1405 Shamsi — December 21, 2026), 163 days from today.

What is Yalda Night?

Yalda is the longest night of the year — an ancient Iranian celebration of the sun's rebirth, kept with pomegranates, watermelon and Hafez readings.

When is Yalda Night 2026? Date & Traditions | گاهشماری شاهنشاهی