“Carpet used to be Iran’s first non-oil export, earning the country considerable returns. Recently, the industrial development has pushed the handicraft down to the 4-6 place. About 1.5 million people are working in the industry and women make up 85 percent of carpet-weavers. Many others make their living in the industry’s peripheral jobs such as wool makers and producers of raw material.”

“To clear up misunderstandings arising from false data, I should say Iranian carpet has no rivals, but some countries like Pakistan, China, Nepal, etc have entered the market as our colleagues. Carpets, rugs, and other hand-woven crafts had captured global markets until 1998 when Iran’s carpet share was hovering about 42-50% from 1998 on, producers have presented new carpets, which are more beautiful and at budget prices. Iran failed to step into the uncharted territory.”

“Currently, Iran National Carpet Center is advertising worldwide and working on order-based models. The recent development on the market can be more of an opportunity than a threat. The industry on which one million women feed can be entertainment too.”

The Persian carpet is hand made and an essential part of Persian art and culture. Carpet-weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian culture and art, and dates back to at least 2700 years ago. Persian carpets are considered as the worlds most beautiful carpets.

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Every 21st of December Iranians celebrate Yalda which means birth in Syriac. It is believed that when this night ends, days become longer as light (Sun) has defeated darkness.

On Yalda festival, Iranians celebrate the arrival of winter.

Ancient Persians believed that evil forces were dominant on the longest night of the year and that the next day belonged to the Lord of Wisdom, Ahura Mazda.

The Persians would burn fires all night to ensure the defeat of evil. They would hold feasts, raise charity, honor their deities and pray to the goddess Mithra.

As Yalda coincides with the beginning of winter, people also celebrated the end of the previous harvest by eating dried and fresh fruits and praying to the deities for a bumper winter crop next year.

One of the main features of the Yalda festival was the temporary subversion of order, which lasted up to the Sassanid period.

Masters served servants, children headed the family and a mock king was crowned.

Today the Yalda festival is a time when family members gather at the home of the elders until after midnight.

Guests are served with dried fruits, nuts, and winter fruits like pomegranates and watermelons, which symbolize the red color of dawn in the sky.

They also practice bibliomancy with the poetry of the highly respected mystic Iranian poet Hafez.

Persians believe whenever one is faced with difficulties or has a general question, one can ask the poet for an answer.

Hafiz sings to the questioner in his own enigmatic way and allows individuals to look in the mirror of their soul through his poems.

Article source: Irpedia.com