#FolkloreThursday: Yalda 🍉🌙 (2nd Part) A korsi is a large, low square table that is heated underneath — by coals in the old days and electric heaters now. The table is draped with blankets, to tuck your legs under to keep them warm and cozy, and surrounded by cushions to lean against. While the use of a korsi is not common outside of Iran, Iranians in the diaspora create similarly inviting setups for their own Yalda celebrations. On this longest and darkest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, symbolic foods, pomegranates chief among them, are passed around to welcome back the light and longer days. The Yalda evening celebrations begin with dinner, but unlike Nowruz meals, there isn’t a set menu. Historically, the pomegranate — anar — holds special significance in Persian culture,” said Nader Mehravari, the food research fellow at San Francisco State University’s Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies. “Pomegranates originated in the region of modern-day Iran. From a religious aspect, the pomegranate is considered a heavenly fruit and perhaps the original forbidden fruit. It is also a sign of fertility, light and goodness, which is why it is so auspicious on Yalda night as a symbolic opposing force of darkness.” #shabechelle #Yalda #YaldaNight #folklorethursday #folklore #folkloreflash #wintersolstice #Winter #winterequinox #winterseason #yule #yuletideseason #yuleblessings #yuletide#Mystique #Spiritique #capricorn #capricornseason #capricornzodiac #happyholidays #Mindfulness #Spiritual #Spirituality #tradition #traditional #traditionalvibes #sacred #sacredculture #traditionalculture https://www.instagram.com/p/CmeKZJrS7Oe/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
