Shab-e Yalda, meaning “ the Night of Births” is an ancient Persian celebration that takes place annually during the winter solstice, on December 20 or 21. The celebration is more than 5,000 years old, dating back to the pre-Zoroastrian era of Persia, and symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness. Millions of people all around the world celebrate Shab-e Yalda, primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Asia, and the diaspora community. Althoug

“Yeki bood, yeki nabood, zir-e gonbad-e kabood, gheyr az khoda hichkas nabood.” There was one, there was no one, under the blue dome of the sky, there was no one but God. Dating back to the medieval era of oral storytelling in Great Iran, this phrase originated in unwritten folktales passed generation to generation through grandmothers and marketplace storytellers. Long before it was written in print, the phrase was used in marketplace settings, and was a cue that could immed

My name is Sophia Saleh, and I am an Iranian American who has never been to Iran, due to the current regime. I grew up learning Farsi and practicing Persian culture, and as I have grown in understanding of the importance of preserving culture, felt praricularly drawn towards my heritage. I wanted to showcase what an important impact Persian literature has had on society today, and began the Persian Connection, a non-profit organization that focuses on analyzing modern-day Ira

Known for its rich traditions and cultural significance, Nowruz marks the beginning of the Persian calendar year. Meaning "new day" in Persian, Nowruz is celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide, primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and parts of the Balkans, including Kosovo and Albania. The thirteen-day celebration begins at the exact moment of the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, causing the date to fall on either March 20 or 21

The Shahnameh, also called the Persian Book of Kings, is an ancient Persian epic written by the legendary poet Ferdowsi around the year 1010 AD. It was estimated that the poet began the project in 977, taking him roughly thirty years to complete. The epic remains the greatest piece of literature to emerge from Persia, and comprises approximately 50,000 rhyming couplets in Persian. The Shahnameh follows the mythical and historical past of Iran starting from the creation of th