Greetings
Ho Ho Ho!
It’s the best time of the year. The glistening Christmas lights, jingle bells, the sound of famous Christmas carols everywhere is magical.
What a year has it been. We have all learnt to live in a post pandemic world. With so many new rules and regulations, we have embraced a new lifestyle, yet we are still longing to travel abroad. The high number of vaccination around the globe is taking us one step closer to having our borders reopen. Let the magic of Christmas make our travel dreams come true.
On that note, at NZ Travel & Tour, we have been working on creating a number of semi-private tours resuming in 2022. These semi-private tours are limited to maximum of 7 fully vaccinated travellers to your favourite destinations to the Middle East, Iran being one of the hot spots to visit. For those travellers wishing to arrange travel plans in even smaller groups or privately, feel free to contact us so we can tailor your itinerary to your specific wish list.
We have added an article on a very special festive celebration amongst Persians globally. This hallmark celebration happens in December and around the same time as Christmas festivities. Enjoy the read and don’t forget to click on the full article for more information.

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Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

NZ Travel & Tour Team

December is synonymous with festivity globally. Families and friends getting together and celebrating, eating and drinking delicious meals, sweets and drinks of choice take common place throughout the entire month, even before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day arrive. Meanwhile, on the other part of the world, Persians celebrate a very special hallmark event, on the night of the 21st December, annually.
‘’Yalda’’ night marks the winter solstice and it is considered the longest night of the year according to Persian Calendar. Yalda means birth and it refers to the god of light ‘’Mithra’’ who symbolises goodness in the ancient Persian culture. There are so many tales and stories behind the rituals associated with Yalda night amongst Persians. It is believed to be good luck to stay up all night with family and friends and celebrate the rebirth of sun and light over darkness on this special night of the year 

 Yalda Night Traditions

Traditionally on Yalda night, Persians arrange a spread with festive fruits such as pomegranate, watermelon, persimmon, dried fruits, nuts and sweets. Traditionally, all these items on the spread symbolise an element in Persian ancient culture. Furthermore some families have specific rituals of eating delicious local dishes on this night. Yalda night is all about family and friends getting together. It symbolises warmth, love and life. It is an inclusive celebration annually and it coincides with Christmas festivities around the world. Whether you are celebrating Yalda, Christmas or both, the essence of all of these celebratory events remain constant. Getting together with family, loved ones and friends, sharing good food and company and keeping rituals alive are what festivity is about. To read more about Yalda, read the full article here by Melika on Persian Tours blog post.