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Holidays: Winter Solstice Feast-Shab-E Yalda ![Next Topic Next Topic](icons/icon_go_right.gif) |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
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4737 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4737 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2012 : 07:56:37 AM
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I am busy putting together my holiday menus. I am going to be quite busy with all the cooking and baking for the solstice, Christmas Eve and Day meals. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed already, but will do my best to make each holiday meal something to remember! I had posted this here a few years ago & thought some of the newer farmgirls might like to read it:
In Iran (my husband is originally from Tehran) they have a winter feast to celebrate the solstice. It is called Sahb-E Yalda, which means rebirth of the sun. It was considered a battle between dark and light, light triumphing in the end.
Bonfires are lit outside while families gather inside for a night-long vigil. A low square table is covered with a thick cloth & a brazier with hot coals is placed under the table. The oldest family members saved fruit & vegetables for everyone to enjoy.
The oldest member of the family says prayers, thanks God for the previous year's crops & prays for the prosperity of next year's harvest. Then with a sharp knife, thick yogurt, melon & watermelon are cut & given to the family. The cutting symbolizes the removal of sickness & pain for the family.
There are many fruits, nuts, and main dishes that are eaten that have different symbolic meanings too. Poetry is recited & music played. Stories and jokes are told as well. People talk until the sun, triumphantly returns in the morning.
We celebrate here on a more modest scale of dinner & music by our fireplace. I hope everyone has a triumphant solstice too!
Sahar (Persian for Dawn) in IL |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
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5602 Posts
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Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2012 : 08:23:30 AM
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Good morning Sahar! I love that you share your celebration with us. You sound like you'll be a busy lady with the feast preparations. Maybe at some point when you are too busy, I could wheedle you into sharing a few recipes ![](icons/icon_smile_wink.gif)
I love all celebrations and I celebrate all that I can, life is too darned short not to right?
Winter Soltice is one of my favorite earth celebrations! When I lived on the Pacific coast, I would have a sometimes overnight beach camp-out on the winter solstice with warm parkas, quilts, a bonfire, roasting marshmallows and other such fun! It's a bit too cold for MY tastes in North Idaho to do that but I still have a Solstice party most years and my hubs and I have a solstice celebration dinner as as part of our weeks long holiday season celebrations.
We have a non-alcoholic drink that we share called Sun Punch, which is orange sherbet and ginger ale, that we have to finish off our dinner. It's yummy ![](icons/icon_smile_big.gif)
When it's clear out we wrap up and sit on the porch with mugs of something warm and star watch!
Many blessing to you and your family!
Hugs n' cookies =}
Annika Farmgirl & sister #13
http://thegimpyfarmgirl.blogspot.com/ http://pinterest.com/annikaloveshats/
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
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4737 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4737 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2012 : 8:03:12 PM
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Thanks Anna! Your celebrations sound wonderful. Very similar to the Persian ones. Many blessing to you & yours too!
Dawn in IL |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
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1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2012 : 6:56:58 PM
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Yay for Winter Solstice! It's so interesting that the Persian celebration is like the old Irish one that I grew up with. I guess the idea is universal. In our home, the Solstice feast always includes golden foods :) I'd love to know about your meaningful entrees. If you get a few minutes (HA HA HA!!!), maybe you could share? |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
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4178 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4178 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2012 : 04:10:00 AM
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best wishes for all your celebrations ladies. Sounds like you better share some recipes Dawn! Michele |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
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4737 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4737 Posts |
Posted - Dec 21 2012 : 2:01:37 PM
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Tonight we are dining on chicken and saffron rice with an eggplant garnish. For dessert I have grapes, rice cream (flavored with rosewater) and nuts. If anyone is interested, I am willing to share the recipe, but I warn you, they aren't for the faint of heart! The chicken and saffron rice takes about 5 hours to make! The dessert is super easy though to compensate for the entree. I need to take a break somewhere right? I didn't buy the traditional watermelon and pomegranates. They aren't very tasty this time of year. The chicken & saffron rice dish has a yogurt sauce baked over them that we use for the "cutting away sickness & pain" part of our dinner.
The sun arrived this morning here in the Chicago area! It was a relief to see, I hope it comes back daily for us. Happy winter solstice!
Dawn in IL |
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
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Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2012 : 06:46:36 AM
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Hi Dawn,
I hope your winter celebrations and feasts were wonderful. They sound great... We also celebrate the Winter solstice, along with Christmas. It was so mild that we decided to have a small outside fire. It was nice - all bundled up, drinking hot tea... It makes me more aware of my connections with the earth when I am outside at night during winter. There's truly something magical about it.
Take care and thanks for sharing - sounds lovely...
Lorraine (aka Tea Lady) Farmgirl #1819 www.birdsandteas.com |
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Holidays: Winter Solstice Feast-Shab-E Yalda ![Next Topic Next Topic](icons/icon_go_right.gif) |
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