The Psychological Impact of Yalda Myths

The Yalda Night: A Celebration of Hope and Psychological Energy
When Rapithwin and Tishter, the deities of heat and rain, hide themselves in the subconscious of the Earth during the onslaught of the winter demon, their purpose is to keep the underground waters warm, ensuring that trees and plants do not die and can awaken again in the spring resurrection. This process creates sparks of hope within us. During this time, a celebration begins to bid farewell to Rapithwin and Tishter, where we welcome winter with dried fruits and late summer fruits. In a night where it seems the darkness refuses to end, suddenly Mithra defeats the demon, and from the following day, the length of darkness begins to shorten as the dominance of light begins, leading to the Earth’s revival in the spring.
On this night, family members and relatives gather together to celebrate the longest night of the year by reminiscing about Persian stories and poems while enjoying fruits and nuts. This celebration, known as “Yalda” or “Cheleh,” is held with various customs across different cultures in Iran.
The story of Yalda, at its core, is a message of hope. The placebo effect is well known in common treatments, and Yalda can serve as a sort of placebo, reigniting a sense of hope within us. It seems that humans are sustained by hope, and through this hope, the meaning of life may become clearer for each one of us (Logotherapy, Meaning Therapy). The Yalda celebration, and the gathering of family, create a connection through rituals (Transactional Analysis theory), where a collective activity takes place, such as socializing, reading stories, and sharing Persian poetry. What flows between them is a sense of unity and a unified activity.
Just as ancient Iranians used to light fires and make sure the flames did not die out during this long night, singing, dancing, and celebrating, they unconsciously participated in both the ritual and the activity, raising their psychological energy. By holding Yalda celebrations, we too help elevate our psychological energy and enhance our well-being.
The best definition of psychological energy is that it is a bio-psychological force that, when activated, organizes human motivation, behavior, and attitude. The source of this energy is instinctual and biological and can be increased or decreased through interactions with the environment and others. Psychological energy can be considered the most valuable and rare energy in the world because it is exchanged in human interactions, in both positive and negative emotional exchanges. Therefore, psychological energy can be produced and consumed through various activities during the day.
For years, we Iranians have been engaging in reciprocal connections, socializing, and participating in activities on Yalda night (Cheleh), which greatly contributes to increasing our psychological energy. We hope that this year, on Yalda night, we can increase our psychological energy for the cold days ahead, performing the rituals of Yalda with care and tranquility, as we await the warmth of summer and the renewal of life in the spring.