The Ceremony of Yalda Night Held in the Tourism Target Village of Qaleh Bala

According to Miras Arya, Seyyed Mohammad Sadegh Razavian said: The ancient ceremony of Yalda Night, an embodiment of social cohesion and the richness of the region's indigenous culture, was held in the tourism target village of Qaleh Bala with the extensive participation of the villagers and the performance of various cultural and artistic programs. The head of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Shahroud County added: In this ceremony, programs such as performing Sarkouhri songs, reciting local poems and verses, performing the traditional wooden dance, divination with the Divan of Hafez, and local narrations of Yalda Night were performed, creating an atmosphere full of enthusiasm, sincerity, and social joy among the participants. He pointed out the prominent role of children and adolescents in this ceremony and said: The recitation of poems by children and the performance of the traditional play of Naneh Sarma and Shab-e Chelleh were among the notable parts of this program, indicating the importance of transferring intangible cultural heritage and traditions to future generations. Razavian stated: Yalda Night, as one of the ancient Iranian ceremonies, has been registered in the list of intangible cultural heritage of the world, and the village of Qaleh Bala is also on the path to global registration. Therefore, holding such ceremonies, in addition to honoring the indigenous culture, plays an effective role in introducing the cultural and tourism capacities of the village. The head of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Shahroud County noted: Holding traditional ceremonies such as Yalda Night in tourism target villages lays the groundwork for the development of sustainable tourism, strengthens local identity, and increases the attractiveness of these destinations for domestic and foreign tourists, and can contribute to the economic and social prosperity of the region.