by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.
It’s that time of the year once again — to gather with friends and family to celebrate the holidays, but most importantly, to honor the change of seasons and the conclusion of another year.
Like with every seasonal transition, it's important to make dietary and lifestyle adjustments that support your health for the new season.
According to Chinese Medicine, Winter is the most Yin time of the year and the colder weather naturally encourages us to slow down.
But if you’re living a fast-paced life, heeding to the need to draw your energy inward is not always easy.
Rituals are a great way to honor the change of seasons and what’s needed of us from Mother Nature during the transitional period.
In my Iranian culture, we celebrate the Winter Solstice with a ritual known as Shabeh Yalda, which honors the longest night of the year.
My aunt Nazila decorated her table like an altar for Shabeh Yalda — with fruits, nuts, sweets and a book of poetry by the legendary Iranian poet, Hafez.
Originally a Zoroastrian tradition, Shabeh Yalda was a ritual of protection from evil during the longest night of the year when evil forces were said to be most prominent. People were encouraged to stay awake most of the night, gathering with friends and relatives for safety.
Today, family and friends gather to celebrate this long night by sharing a variety of foods including a bean and vegetable soup known as Aash Reshteh, nuts, sweets, pomegranate, watermelon and other fruits, as well as readings from the great poet Hafez.
Aash Reshteh is a traditional Persian soup that’s often enjoyed on Shabeh Yalda. This bean and herb soup with noodles is garnished with fried onions, herbs and creamed whey.
Shabeh Yalda is also referred to as Shabe Chelleh as the longest and darkest night of the year marks "the night opening the initial forty-day period of the three-month winter", from which the name Chelleh, "fortieth", derives.
There are all together three 40-day periods, one in Summer, and two in Winter.
Shabeh Chelleh is the night opening the "big Chelleh" period — the night between the last day of Autumn and the first day of Winter.
Shabeh Yalda is a reminder of the power of ritual as a way to support yourself to slow down during seasonal transitions — and any transition that you’re going through in your life.
Rituals and customs bring us into the present moment and help us honor the time we’re in, the time we’re leaving behind and the hopes we have for the future.
With that said, may you always find time to honor the things that matter most to you.
Wishing you a Happy Solstice and a warm, nurturing and healthy holiday season!
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This year’s Shabeh Yalda dinner included a variety of Persian dishes, including Aash Reshteh (bean and herbs soup with noodles), Addas Polo (lentil rice with raisins), and Khoresheh Karafs (celery stew) with basmati rice and saffron
Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers a one-of-a-kind form of empowerment coaching, clinical services, and transformational workshops and online courses that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com.