Music and laughter could be heard as young children in pink, orange and gold dresses of traditional Iranian style could be seen skipping up and down Walter Hall while the line of attendees to Yalda Night stretched past the entrance.
“It's a traditional costume we have. I just want to teach my daughter that we have some kind of tradition,” Maryam Ban, the mother of one of the children and an Ohio University 2014 alumna, said.
The Iranian Student Society hosted its annual Yalda Night celebration Saturday. Nearly a hundred guests and volunteers gathered to view several performances, danced and enjoyed a dinner highlighting Persian cuisine.
Yalda Night is an Iranian holiday that celebrates the longest night of the year, otherwise known as the winter solstice.
The celebration falls on Dec.14, 2017, but ISS hosted their event nearly a month early so that it could take place while the university was in session. The event was intended to represent the diverse nation of Iran through dance, cuisine, poetry and both traditional and modern pop music.
“Tonight we are celebrating the coming of winter, the renewal of the sun and the triumph of light over darkness,” Diane Cahill, the interim director of International Student and Faculty Services and the director of operations for the Office of Global Affairs, said.
The event was over capacity, Ali Rafiei, the president of ISS and a graduate student studying chemistry and biochemistry, said.
“It's a big pleasure to be able to present our culture here,” he said.
During the event, Atefeh Alizadehbirjandi, the host of the event, led a moment of silence for victims of the recent Iranian earthquake. The earthquake was reportedly the deadliest of the year and more than 450 people were killed and thousands injured, according to CNN.
Outside the entrance to the ballroom, there was a table with information about the recent earthquake and ways attendees could offer aid and support to the victims.
“Life goes on. With the support of our friends and our families, we will be back on our feet soon,” Alizadehbirjandi, an Ohio State University student and active member of the OSU Iranian Cultural Association, said.
After the moment of silence, the event continued to celebrate what Yalda Night represents: the triumph of light over darkness.
Many performers were current and former members of ISA, like Asiyeh Rafieipour, an exchange student from Iran studying mathematics at OU, who performed a Persian poem.
“I'm very excited that other people from other countries can learn about this,” she said.
