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Shab-e Yalda is celebrated on the Northern Hemisphere’s longest night of the year, the eve of the winter solstice.

“The ceremony is traced to the primal concept of light and good against darkness and evil in the ancient Iranian religion,” says Esrafil Jedari Sefidgari, a research associate in electrical engineering. “Our tradition is that as people were advised to stay awake most of the night, members of the family or close friends stay together, narrate old stories told by ancestors, play traditional games and eat dried and fresh fruits symbolizing various things.”