Shab-e Chella (Yalda) in Afghanistan: the longest night

Photo: Zb travel

When it is

Chella is kept on the last night of autumn, the night between the end of autumn and the first day of winter. In the Afghan solar calendar that is the night of 30 Qaws going into 1 Jadi. By the date converter, 30 Qaws 1405 is 21 December 2026, so the evening of 21 December is Shab-e Chella. Check any year on the date converter.

The name is used in Afghanistan. In Iran the same night is called Yalda. UNESCO added Yaldā/Chella to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022, as a tradition shared by Iran and Afghanistan.

What people do

Families gather, often at the house of the eldest relative, and stay up past midnight. UNESCO describes a table with a lamp for light, water for cleanliness and red fruits for warmth. Families also prepare broth, sweets, dried fruits and nuts. People recite poetry, tell stories, play games and music, and give gifts to new in-laws, brides and children.

The Kabul Times described a family sitting around the sandali, the low table with a warm blanket and a charcoal brazier under it. If you use one, read how to heat your home safely first.

What is on the table

Photo: USDA photo by Scott Bauer · Public domain

• Watermelon. Eaten on the longest night. The Kabul Times writes of a belief that those who begin winter by eating summer fruit will not fall ill in the cold season.
• Pomegranate. Its red colour stands for the crimson of dawn and the glow of life, writes the Kabul Times.
• Nuts and dried fruit. Wikipedia lists watermelon, pomegranate, nuts and dried fruit as the foods of the celebration, and UNESCO also names dried fruits and nuts.
• Other red fruit. UNESCO also names beetroot, jujube and grapes.

Photo: Tal Surasky

Poetry

Reading poetry is the heart of the night. The Kabul Times and Wikipedia say people read poetry, especially Hafez, until well after midnight, and Wikipedia adds the Shahnameh. Another favourite pastime is fal-e Hafez: divination with the Divan of Hafez, opening the book to a page for an answer. After dinner the older people entertain the others with tales and stories.

If you want to keep it

1. Pick the evening of 30 Qaws (21 December in 2026) and invite relatives or neighbours.
2. Buy watermelon, pomegranates, nuts and dried fruit.
3. Put a lamp or candle on the table, with water and the red fruit.
4. Have a book of poetry ready, such as the Divan of Hafez.
5. Keep the room ventilated if any stove or brazier is burning.

A heater or brazier in a closed room can poison people in their sleep. Keep a window open a little, and do not sleep beside a burning stove.