Nournews: For numerous internal, external, economic, social, political, and other reasons, contemporary Iranian society enjoys only a limited share of the virtues of joy, hope, and solidarity. Scientific surveys and field observations indicate that indicators of citizens’ welfare and life satisfaction are eroding at an alarming rate. The imposition of an unjust 12-day war by the United States and Israel against Iran, coupled with intensified sanctions and inhumane restrictions on the people of this land, has further delayed development and pushed the ideal of public welfare, satisfaction, and collective happiness even farther away. Today, despite the efforts of managers and officials, Iranians are experiencing severe difficulties in livelihood and economic conditions, difficulties that quickly manifest themselves across the social landscape.
Accordingly, although the indicator of life expectancy has shown significant growth over the past two or three decades, indicators of hope for the future do not present a satisfactory picture. This duality suggests that while standards of physical health and hygiene have improved, we have failed to equally enhance the mental and emotional well-being of society. This is not the first time Iran has experienced a “state of constraint.” Throughout its long history, the collective Iranian spirit has repeatedly faced hardship, closure, suspension, crisis, and even deadlock, yet each time it has managed to pass through safely. What has consistently aided Iran in such moments has been its culture, history, myths, and sound traditions.
Security Through Rituals
It would not be inaccurate to claim that Iranian society today needs the meaningful ritual and beneficial tradition of Yalda more than ever. Joy, hopefulness, and solidarity are timeless messages embedded in the essence of this national tradition—messages capable of making hardships, difficulties, and constraints more bearable. In Iranian history, Yalda has symbolized a collective victory over darkness, decay, and gloom. Our ancestors wisely understood that confronting natural and human threats required strengthening human solidarity, reinforcing collective hope, and expanding national joy.
This unwritten Iranian strategy is what we now refer to as the preservation and enhancement of social capital. From this perspective, Yalda serves as a guarantor of social capital, as it strengthens networks of collective and interpersonal relationships—the greatest asset of any society.
Today, when social capital is under threat and even erosion due to domestic disorder and external threats, aggressions, and hostilities, an intelligent and dynamic return to historical and national traditions and rituals can not only neutralize these risks but also reinforce public cohesion and, in turn, strengthen national security. Sound traditions and rituals offer numerous benefits: they create shared norms for a civilizational unit; facilitate socialization and the transmission of moral and cultural heritage to new generations; and possess significant power in fulfilling the emotional needs of citizens.
Yalda as a Guardian of Collective Identity
From this analysis, traditions and national rituals such as Yalda Night can be regarded as guardians of collective identity and cultural integrity. Undoubtedly, the survival and continuity of a civilization depend on multiple factors, yet the role of deeply rooted rituals and customs is especially significant. According to scholars, what ensures the internal survival of a civilization is the system of meanings it produces—systems that sometimes manifest as collective beliefs and sometimes as lived social rituals and traditions. No civilization exists without creating and reinforcing beliefs, rituals, and social customs. These traditions emerge through complex processes within the collective mind of a people, mature over time, and function as a protective belt for that civilization.
Yalda should be evaluated within this framework. Of course, it also has tangible, outward expressions—visible in food choices, clothing, and behaviors—which are themselves important, as they reflect the deeply nature-oriented Iranian worldview. The selection of seed-bearing fruits such as pomegranates and watermelons symbolizes a wish for abundance. Reading the Shahnameh and Hafez’s Divan represents a renewal of commitment to the valiant yet harmonious and love-centered Iranian spirit. Holding the gathering in the home of elders signifies respect for ancestors. While these outward manifestations are delicate and meaningful, the spirit underlying them is of far greater importance.
An Opportunity to Strengthen Social Capital
The Iranian spirit seems to have long understood that overcoming evil, darkness, decay, poverty, famine, and other natural and human threats is impossible without strengthening human relationships. Without explicitly using the term “social capital,” Iranians sought a better life through reinforcing social bonds—prioritizing strong networks of social interaction over individual comfort, thereby preserving and enhancing the most valuable asset of society.
It can also be argued that the enduring meaning of Yalda reflects a belief that a good life is only possible when it transcends the individual level and acquires a collective and public character. Through Yalda, Iranians strengthened human-to-human bonds, honored the relationship between humanity and nature, and recalled the connection between humanity and the heavens. In this way, Yalda embodies ethical, spiritual, social, and emotional dimensions.
Contemporary Iranian society is not only far from being free of the need for such rituals; it is in urgent need of revisiting, re-creating, and revitalizing them. At a time when numerous factors threaten social cohesion and pose serious obstacles to the restoration of social capital, all historical, ritualistic, cultural, and national capacities must be employed to reinforce and expand this asset. Joy, hope, and solidarity constitute the Iranian Yalda’s proposal for strengthening social capital—a golden proposal that should be embraced without delay and applied in collective life.
A Historical Trust
Of course, traditions and rituals always carry the risk of dysfunction and deviation from their original purpose. There are many examples in which national or religious rituals have, over time, taken on forms contrary to their original essence and even turned into their opposites. Therefore, careful attention must be paid to potential distortions when returning to traditions. Yalda, a symbol of abundance, nature-friendliness, and people-centeredness, can sometimes turn into a platform for extravagance, consumerism, or class-based ostentation.
If Iran has survived internal and external threats and repeatedly risen like a phoenix from the ashes of hardship and catastrophe, it is due to the balanced and adaptive Iranian spirit. Joy, hope, and solidarity—three enduring pillars of this spirit—are crystallized in Yalda. When Islamic values also endorsed these core elements, the legitimacy and acceptance of this historical tradition reached its peak. Yalda is a historical trust in our hands. We must cherish it and responsibly deliver this priceless gem to the future history of our homeland.
NOURNEWS