Yalda is the birthday of the beautiful symbols of the region's history. A region that has been wounded throughout history and the same symbols have given hope to it. Its wounds have been healed again with their love and have survived thousands of dangerous twists and turns.
The historical symbols, which are partly the narrative of their ancestors' stories and backgrounds, are also partly the influential factors that are beautiful and meaningful in the sculpture's structure of the identity of the region's nations.
Obviously, Yalda, discussing it, and the reasons for the importance of this special date and time, carries a detailed discussion and can be discussed in many ways. One aspect that can be emphasized is the identity-building aspect of the dates and opportunities that nations find to make it an opportunity to build social, political, and cultural consensus in society. Things that are agreed upon are then subject to customs and people must observe them. In general, as sociologists say, a date becomes a tradition that has special principles and rules for governance. According to the linguistic, social, and historical characteristics of the traditions, they have other details associated with a particular nation in each region of a large geographical area. However, they also have some common characteristics with other nations that believe in these occasions. They usually become part of the identity or one of the bricks of the nation's identity building.
A nation that does not have the bricks, history, and symbols has a weak identity. A question can be asked: If a nation does not have these identity-building factors, what does it build its identity from? They are the legacy of the past and we are a people with a past. We have literature, history, customs, and all the so-called national identity. Therefore, our writers, thinkers, and even ordinary people are always accustomed to insisting on preserving and enriching the legacy of their ancestors. Auguste Comte says, their ancestors have a greater share in building society than the people of today. It means a nation that does not recognize, preserve, plan for, and develop its history will undoubtedly be weakened and even in danger of losing its identity.
Now, if we quickly look at Yalda as one of these occasions based on the writings of historians, we should mention the following points:
In 1300 BC, the Aryans were divided into several groups. Some go to the Iranian plateau, others to India. Those who came to Iran engaged in livestock and agriculture, but the Aryans who went to India lived plundering other peoples, which becomes part of their bad habits. Their behavior frightened the Aryans of the Iranian part who needed peace in their pastures and farms because the Aryans of India did not believe in livestock, so they attacked the land and livestock of the Aryans of Iran from time to time and took away their cattle, and their flocks.
At a time when tensions, attacks, and defenses exist between the two borders, the god of most nations living in Iran's geography was Ahura Mazda and their god was Deo.
The conflict between the two sides led the Iranians to take a stand against the foreign force that was against them, whose behavior, thoughts, and beliefs did not agree with them and even opposed them, and tried to confront them culturally and linguistically. Therefore, they made their people use the word "Deo" for the enemy, and later the word "Dew" (monster) was used to refer to any enemy or foe.
Similarly, the Aryans of India recognized the opposing forces, the supporters of Ahura Mazda, as their opponents and hated Ahura Mazda.
But the interesting point is that both sides believed in the god of "promise and covenant". He is the god; He was the god of the sun. A god other than these descriptions in the texts is referred to by other names such as "Mithra" or "Mitras".
Therefore, when the Iranian Aryans made peace with the Indian plunderers, they took this god as a witness and protected their land and livestock.
Mithras, who was both the sun and the warrior god, was born in a cave on the last night of autumn, the longest night, according to Iranian nations.
This god was very sacred, especially among cattle breeders and farmers, including the Kurdish people. Some reject Ahura Mazda and worship Mithra, such as the Yezidis and Kakais, whom the sun is holy for.
Mithras was also a god of war. In the wars between Rome and the Ashkanids, which took place mostly in the present-day western region of Kurdistan, the Iranians won more. The Romans tried to worship the Iranian god of war, so the night of Mithras's birth gradually became a sacred night for them and was a holy
night and was celebrated. After that, in the " Syriac" language, which was the dominant nation of Rome, Yalda means the night of birth.
Are Yalda and its ceremonies only for the Kurds or not? It’s not a perfect question because Yalda belongs to all the nations that lived in the geography of the Iranian plateau, but of course, we Kurds have a part in it and have played a role in preserving, creating, and giving meaning to that special time. There is a lot of evidence to find this influence, one of which is that the symbol of Mithras, the sun, is still praised by the Yezidis and Kakais.
Yalda, as we have said, not only has an ancient history of confrontation with the powers of Asian history but also means "birth" — the birth of beauty. And also, this is the meaning of the word in Syriac.
