Yalda / Khor-Ruz
The archetype of the birth of the sun, an ancient legacy of Iranshahr

Yalda Night will soon arrive. From an archetypal perspective, this night retells one of the most ancient beliefs of the unconscious of the peoples of the Iranian world: belief in the struggle between light and darkness and in the ultimate victory of light over darkness. Within the collective unconscious of Iranians, Yalda can be interpreted as an embodiment of our collective hope in the final triumph of light over darkness—perhaps even, beyond that, of our faith in the fulfilment of this primordial promise.

We celebrate the birth of that light which is born at the widest, strongest, and longest domination of night and darkness. Our luminous celebration on the longest night of the year is a sign of our historical faith in the victory of light even when darkness and blackness appear at the height of their dominion and power.

In the essay before you, written several years ago, I looked at the historical and global importance of this celebration and its remarkable geographical reach. When I wrote that essay, my attention was focused mainly on the extent of this celebration in the ancient Iranian world and historical Iranshahr. Today, however, I believe that this archetype is without borders and universal, connected to no nationality or race. I nevertheless continue to believe that it remains exceptionally alive and powerful in the collective memory of the peoples of the Iranian world, and that preserving it has an importance extending beyond a historical tradition.

Aydin Areta