Happy
Yalda
We decorate a small Sarve not necessarily for Mitra, but in
memory of my ancestors
By Ash Farhang
December 23, 2003
The Iranian
A chance meeting some years ago with an Iranian scholar who, as fate has
it, now lives in Helsinki, Finland, introduced me to an aspect of Iranian
history, which to this date is nothing short of a love affair with my
ancestors. Though long forgotten, they deserve to be remembered for what
they truly were. For this enlightenment, I am forever indebted to this
friend.
At this particular time of year, I would like to share something with you
that I think speaks volumes of plagiarisms and outright thefts of many
Iranian thoughts and customs. I feel sure that many of you are aware of
this, but circumstances have made it difficult to assert the facts or to
remind your colleagues and compatriots of them.
When my children were growing up and were still at home, as parents,
Christmas was a difficult time for us. Like all other Iranian children, ours
could not quite understand the lack of enthusiasm during this particular
holiday.
I am inclined to think that this, among many others, may have been the
main contributing factor for their feeling that their parents were
"different". They wished we would make the same efforts at Christmas as
other parents, but because our hearts were not in it, everything we did
seemed either artificial or pretentious, which made us in their eyes even
more "different".
However, the chance meeting changed all that with the result that a small
amount of research produced many sweet historical facts. Had I known this
when my children were small, I would have happily, gladly, and most proudly
celebrated this particular holiday season as one of our very own. And I
would not have had all those uncomfortable feelings at Christmas with or
without a tree.
Yalda (winter solstice) is an ancient Iranian word and appears in many of
Prophet Mani's writings. The word refers to a new Beginning from which the
Arabic words milaad, tavalod etc. were derived. Mitra (or Mithra)
the early Iranian Prophet, considering Light as the essence of existence and
life, believed in its sanctity. The Sun as its most obvious manifestation
was revered and some out of pure ignorance concluded that Mitra worshiped
the Sun.
Whether she did or not she was believed to have been born by divine
gesture on December 21st, the longest night of the year, specifically to
begin the struggle and triumph of "Light" over "Dark" by having longer and
longer days following the longest night of the year.
Mitra's birthday was celebrated for a total of 10 days up to and
including the First of January. It is not an accident that half way through
the celebrations, namely December 25th, was chosen as Jesus' birthday and
January 1st as the first day of New Year.
Remember that Romans, prior to Christianity, practiced Mitraism and only
out of political considerations, in the year 376, they converted to the new
religion that had started within their own territory. They were not too
happy about their main philosophy and religion having been imported from
their main and only competitor, namely, the Persian Empire, they converted
expeditiously.
According to one source, the Iranians celebrated this day as early as
2,000 BC. Zoroastrians after refining and discarding some of the mythical
and "heretical" aspects of Mithraism, retained Yalda (The Birth), and
additionally encouraged celebrations of Noruz and Mehregan among many
others.
Ancient Iranians celebrated Yalda by decorating an evergreen tree, the
Sarve. The Sarve, Rocket Juniper (what a name!), also known as the cypress
tree, being straight, upright, resilient and resistant to the cold weather
(all signs of strength and upright of character) was thought appropriate to
represent Mitra, the omnipotent and ubiquitous deity.
The younger girls had their "wishes" symbolically wrapped in colorful
silk cloth and hung them on the tree as offerings to Mitra with an
expectation, no doubt, that their prayers would be rewarded (remnants of
this traditions can still be seen in Iran at remote villages where some
young girls tie colorful bundles to trees to answer to their "wishes") .
Thus the tradition of decorations of the tree with lights and gifts on or
beside the tree was born.
As you may know, Pope Leo, in the fourth century (A.D.376), after almost
destroying the last temple of Mitra (Mitraeum) in his campaign against
Mitraism and in the good old Christian tradition, "If you can't claim it,
imitate it and call it your own," proclaimed the 25th of December as
Christ's birthday and January 1st (not March 21st as was the norm) as the
first day of New Year.
Again in the same Euro-Christian tradition of not identifying the source,
Luther, the famous German reformer, in the 18th century (1756, I believe),
having learned of the Yalda Tree tradition, introduced the Christmas tree to
the Germans. However, as Sarves were not much known in Germany, nor indeed
in much of Europe, the chosen tree became a genus of pine, abundant in
Europe.
So now with or without the children at home, we decorate a small Sarve
with a star (Mitra's) on top and many presents all around, not necessarily
for Mitra, but in memory of my ancestors for my children and grandchildren.
Please, therefore, decorate a tree at this joyous time, call it by its
true name -- Yalda Tree -- and celebrate it as your own and don't feel
ambivalent when your children wonder if we celebrate the occasion. So Happy
Yalda and the greetings of the season to all of you; no matter what your
religion. |
