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A Persian festival, Yalda, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, with pomegranates, poetry and sacred rituals

  • Written by Pardis Mahdavi, Dean of Social Sciences, Arizona State University
A Persian festival, Yalda, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, with pomegranates, poetry and sacred ritualsA table set for the celebration of the Persian festival of Yalda. Jasmin Merdan/Moment via Getty images.

As the days become shorter and the nights become longer and darker, we are reminded that indeed winter is coming. As a child I would dread this time of the year. Not only was there was less time to play outside, but there was a string of...

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