0:00:04 > 0:00:07Around the world, 300 million people
0:00:07 > 0:00:11are currently celebrating the Persian festival of NoRuz.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14- Happy New Year!- Happy New Year.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16It's the spring equinox,
0:00:16 > 0:00:20the moment when the hours of night and day are equal,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22the start of spring.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27When the sun changes its equinox, it is thanking God for sunshine now,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and so let new life begin.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Tens of thousands mark the occasion in Britain, too.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38My name is Shappi Khorsandi.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43I was born in Iran but came to this country when I was four.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48So I'm Shappi, and I'm a female Iranian stand-up comedian.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51The other comics backstage - they call me the box ticker.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53LAUGHTER
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Now I want my son to experience NoRuz...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Whoo!
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..to discover how the festival is celebrated...
0:01:02 > 0:01:06We have to put seven things that start with S.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11..to understand that NoRuz is an ancient festival
0:01:11 > 0:01:16with roots in a faith that pre-dates Islam and Christianity.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Fire is a medium, through that we are communicating with God.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25This is the first year I've thought, "I'm really going to mark this,"
0:01:25 > 0:01:28because he's six now, and he'll notice and he'll remember.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41- Where are we going?- To the pet shop.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45- And what are we going to buy? - A goldfish.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47We are, we're going to buy a goldfish,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50because for NoRuz, the Persian New Year,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52we set a special symbolic table out,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and the symbol of life on that table is a goldfish.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02- What about that really sparkly one? - You want that one?- Just over there.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06I'm a first-generation immigrant, and my son is half English.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- That giant one looks really cool. - Yeah.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14So it's quite difficult to instil in this very English child,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18"This is the Persian New Year, you will care about it!"
0:02:18 > 0:02:23- Hello, yes, we would like one of these fine goldfish, please.- OK.
0:02:23 > 0:02:29When we were young, my mum always made sure we celebrated NoRuz.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33This ancient festival has always been popular.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38In 1976, my parents moved to London,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41bringing my older brother Peyvand and me with them.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44But we still marked the Persian New Year.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- Thank you very much! - You're welcome.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50'In Iran, we have lots of different people
0:02:50 > 0:02:53'from lots of different religions.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57And regardless of religion, everyone celebrates NoRuz.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59That's the festival that binds us all.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I haven't been very Iranian in the last few years,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I've sort of let it all slide,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and I guess I want to reconnect with how it's all done.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- Take care, bye-bye!- Goodbye! - Come on, then.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Ha-ha-ha! It is NoRuz!
0:03:19 > 0:03:20This is a fish.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28My mum Fatemeh and my dad Hadi
0:03:28 > 0:03:33have agreed to help me show my son how to do NoRuz Iranian style.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Think of a name, darling.- Erm...
0:03:37 > 0:03:38Goldie?
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It's in here, everything's fine.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45'You have your house spring-cleaned, you buy new clothes.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47'Everything's got to be sparkling.'
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It's all about positivity for the future.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55OK, what's the first thing we've put on our haft-seen table?
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- A...goldfish. - What does the goldfish symbolise?
0:03:59 > 0:04:04What does it stand for? Does it stand for death...?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- Life.- Life!
0:04:06 > 0:04:10The haft-seen table is the sort of centrepiece of the house.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Now Maman Fateh grew this from a tiny, tiny grain.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18It is for everything we're putting this table,
0:04:18 > 0:04:23it's symbolising from birth and reborn.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Yeah! We have eggs.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29OK, you've brought hyacinths for our table.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- Yeah.- Brilliant, just in the nick of time.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Whenever I smell them, it just makes me think of my childhood.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41There are seven particular things beginning with S,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45which is where the word "haft-seen" comes from - seven Ss.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- This is called samanu... - Happy New Year!- Happy New Year.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- This is called s... - HE SPEAKS FARSI
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Kind of a cross between marmalade and Nutella.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58This is serkeh, it's vinegar.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00In the ancient times, it would be wine,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04but over time some people have regarded wine as inappropriate
0:05:04 > 0:05:07for a haft-seen table, so we have serkeh.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Vinegar as a wine substitute which...
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Some of the parties I've been to...
0:05:12 > 0:05:14You cannot drink it because it is vinegar!
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I just did a great joke, you interrupted my joke.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- Sorry, I didn't laugh at your joke. - Let me...
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Ha-ha-ha!
0:05:21 > 0:05:26We celebrate the exact point of the spring equinox to the second.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30You've got to be around the table and you all go, "Whoo-hoo",
0:05:30 > 0:05:32when the clock strikes spring equinox.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38The last time that we celebrated NoRuz properly
0:05:38 > 0:05:43was before we went to university, my brother and I.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45But we kind of grew up a bit,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and no-one knew exactly where they were going to be
0:05:48 > 0:05:53around the 20th or 21st of March, so it became less of a massive deal.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I've made it traditional in my own way.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59It's not as thorough
0:05:59 > 0:06:04as some Iranian households' haft-seen table.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08I think the ancestors will forgive just doing it
0:06:08 > 0:06:10with the odd plastic apple.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14So there we are.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I don't want either of my children
0:06:17 > 0:06:21to feel bogged down by their heritage.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23I don't want to beat them about the head and go,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27"This is what your ancestors did, and you will love it!"
0:06:27 > 0:06:31I think my generation didn't quite have that option, you know.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It was very much like, "You will fly the flag and carry the torch."
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And it can be quite a burden, cos you feel, whenever you speak,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42you feel that you're representing an entire people.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Do you know, I remember, I remember as a child,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47we'd go and buy my NoRuz outfit,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49and it was this sacred thing in the wardrobe
0:06:49 > 0:06:52that you couldn't touch until the actual day.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And then my friends, my Iranian friends would come round
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and I'd say, "Come and look at my NoRuz dress!"
0:06:58 > 0:07:00They do go, "Oh, it's lovely, and my NoRuz shoes,"
0:07:00 > 0:07:02and you didn't even dare touch them
0:07:02 > 0:07:05because that would make them not as new.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08That's what we used to get excited about - not blooming computer games.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- We used to get exci... - You're joking.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I'm not, actually.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Monkey!
0:07:20 > 0:07:24NoRuz always coincides with the spring equinox.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Each year, it takes place on March 20th or 21st.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34But what exactly is the equinox?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Well, it is a precise moment, and it's all to do with the fact
0:07:39 > 0:07:42that the earth is actually tilted on its axis,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44which means for part of the year,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47the northern hemisphere, where the UK and Iran are,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49is tilted away from the sun.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53We get less sunlight, the days are shorter, and that's our winter.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56And then, as the earth moves constantly
0:07:56 > 0:07:58in its orbit around the sun on the other side,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03And that means we have more hours of sunlight,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05the days are longer, and this is the summer.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09But exactly halfway between those two points, we have this point here.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11And the sun is exactly over the equator,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and at that precise moment, we have the spring equinox.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16And that's the second
0:08:16 > 0:08:18that Iranians all over the world go, "Whoo, happy New Year."
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Absolutely, that's what you're counting down to,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24that moment when the sun is precisely overhead at the equator.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26So how did people in ancient times
0:08:26 > 0:08:29even know when the spring equinox happened
0:08:29 > 0:08:32without all the fancy equipment that we have now?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34In modern society, we're quite disconnected
0:08:34 > 0:08:37from what's going on up there in the sky,
0:08:37 > 0:08:38but for ancient cultures,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42this would have been the main way you kept track of the year, really.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And so a lot of religious festivals around the world
0:08:45 > 0:08:47use the motions of the sun and the moon
0:08:47 > 0:08:48to mark out their calendar.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50The Chinese and Hindu calendars,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and very famously the Islamic calendar uses lunar months.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56And even the Christian calendar uses the motion of the moon
0:08:56 > 0:08:58to work out the time of Easter.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01But of course with the equinox, this is a solar event,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and many calendars also use when the sun is in a special place
0:09:05 > 0:09:08to mark out moments of celebration in their calendar.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- Like the Iranian New Year. - Absolutely.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Now when I was a kid,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I thought it was just Iranians that celebrated NoRuz.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And then a couple of, like, other Asian kids in my school
0:09:20 > 0:09:22they were like "Oh, Happy NoRuz", I was like
0:09:22 > 0:09:25"Oh my God, how do you know, how do you know about it?"
0:09:25 > 0:09:27And as I got older, I realised that it is celebrated
0:09:27 > 0:09:31by the wider Asian community.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34So that's what I want to find out about...
0:09:37 > 0:09:38Salom.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41SHE SPEAKS FARSI
0:09:41 > 0:09:44When I was growing up, the hub of our Iranian community in London
0:09:44 > 0:09:47was Rostam School.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51The Year Two class have got together
0:09:51 > 0:09:55- and they're painting their eggs for the haft-seen table.- Brilliant!
0:09:58 > 0:10:02The school was very big on keeping up traditions.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07And this army of beautiful, glamorous, wonderful Iranian women,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10shepherded us children through our Iranian culture
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and made sure they instilled in us, this idea
0:10:14 > 0:10:17of being very comfortable with where we are from
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and the way we celebrate stuff.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- I used to go this school from when I was seven years old.- Yes.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32And I was in the same class as my friend, Elholm.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- And who's Elholm?- My mother! - Your mother!
0:10:35 > 0:10:39You look every bit as beautiful as your mum!
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Do you like Aide NoRuz?- Yes.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- What's fun about it? - You also get goldfish.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50- And the goldfish I got last time is still alive.- Are they still alive?
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Well, you must look after your goldfish very well!
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- That's what we like to hear. - I called him Goldie.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59We've bought a goldfish and I think my son's going to call him Goldie.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04It would be very interesting to know how other people celebrate it
0:11:04 > 0:11:10and how scattered all over Asia are pockets of people that do NoRuz.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Tell us about who celebrates NoRuz?
0:11:13 > 0:11:17All countries like Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19They all celebrate NoRuz.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Like right now in the UK, there's lots of NoRuz celebrations,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26because it has a very large Iranian population as well.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Do you have any idea about the root of NoRuz?
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It started in the Persian Empire, which was, like,
0:11:32 > 0:11:352,500 years ago.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38It's been celebrated for a very long time.
0:11:38 > 0:11:44As you can see on the map, the Persian Empire was a massive land
0:11:44 > 0:11:50from today's countries like Pakistan and India to the Nile in Egypt.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55The roots of NoRuz are actually not very well-known,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59because it goes back so many thousand of years.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03We have got specific documentation
0:12:03 > 0:12:08from about 2,500 years ago when NoRuz was celebrated.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13What I know about the origins and the roots of NoRuz
0:12:13 > 0:12:15is that it's ancient tradition.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It comes from the Zoroastrian people.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22the Zoroastrian faith that, of course, were the original Iranians.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25They were Zoroastrians, which was one of the first
0:12:25 > 0:12:30monotheistic religions, precedes Islam and Christianity.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35Zoroastrianism was once the official religion of the Persian Empire.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38But after Arab conquest in the 7th century,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41many Zoroastrians left Persia.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46They created a new community around Bombay or Mumbai in India,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51where they were known as Persian or Parsi.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55They've also been celebrating NoRuz here ever since.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59I love telling my friends, "Oh, it's a Zoroastrian festival,"
0:12:59 > 0:13:03cos often they thought that meant we were followers of Zorro.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I quite enjoyed not many people knowing what Zoroastrian was,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09it just sounded so deathly exotic...
0:13:09 > 0:13:12THEY SING
0:13:12 > 0:13:15One of the best known Zoroastrians
0:13:15 > 0:13:19certainly lived up to this glamorous image.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21# Oh, yes
0:13:21 > 0:13:25# I'm the Great Pretender
0:13:25 > 0:13:27# Oooo, oooo... #
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Freddie Mercury was from a Zoroastrian family.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33I'll always walk around like a Persian popinjay.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36That's part of me and no-one's going to stop me, honey!
0:13:36 > 0:13:40# I pretend too much
0:13:40 > 0:13:43# I'm lonely... #
0:13:43 > 0:13:48Freddie's sister remembers how proud he was of his Persian roots.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50# There must be more to life than this... #
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Freddie was born Farokh Bulsara
0:13:56 > 0:14:01and that name is Persian or Parsi.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And both my parents were born in Bombay.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Mum and Dad were religious.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13They would do prayers every day.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16THEY PRAY
0:14:16 > 0:14:21And we, as a family, were very proud of being Zoroastrian.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25My religion is very, very ancient Persian,
0:14:25 > 0:14:31so that's why not many people have heard of it or understood it.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36# I had this perfect dream... #
0:14:36 > 0:14:40I think, with Freddie, what the Zoroastrian faith gave him
0:14:40 > 0:14:42is to work hard, to persevere...
0:14:42 > 0:14:45# Let the songs begin... #
0:14:45 > 0:14:47..and to follow your dreams.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50MONTSERRAT CABALLE SINGS
0:14:58 > 0:15:01After Freddie's death, his family held a service here
0:15:01 > 0:15:05at the Zoroastrian Centre in Harrow in London.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09I think when the prayers take place and the priests
0:15:09 > 0:15:14are all dressed in white and then we have the little urn with the fire,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and you concentrate on your prayers.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It just makes you feel at peace.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Near your God and it's just very special.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28THEY CHANT
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet Zoroaster
0:15:37 > 0:15:41around 1,500 years before Christ.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43HE CHANTS
0:15:46 > 0:15:50It's one of the earliest religions to believe in one God.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01But its followers are sometimes mistaken for fire worshippers,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04because of the use of fire in their rituals.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Fire does seem very central to celebrations
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and to prayers, so what is the significance of fire?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Not only fire as a matter of fact, also the other natural creations,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The waters, the sky,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- the mountains...- That's what fire would be.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- Fire would be fire would be... - A medium, a vehicle.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Of which through that we are communicating with the Almighty,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Creator God...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44In the week before NoRuz,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47parents bring their children to the centre to celebrate.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And to hear the Zoroastrian story of the first NoRuz
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and its hero, Jamsheed.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05The story of Jamsheed is very similar to the story of Noah and the ark.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08God called to him and said, "Jamsheed,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12"Beware, soon evil will send a really long winter..."
0:17:12 > 0:17:18NoRuz was initiated by Jamsheed after the bitter winter
0:17:18 > 0:17:20which the world suffered.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24It snowed and snowed, but for 40 months
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Jamsheed, the people and the animals were all warm and safe
0:17:28 > 0:17:30inside the cave.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35So, spring is a new beginning. It is a time of happiness and joy.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37The snow had melted...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Everyone slowly emerged from the cave.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44The new day or NoRuz had arrived.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50And that's why Zoroastrians call it Jamsheedi NoRuz to this very day.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I find this all really fascinating,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56knowing that this beautiful celebration that I grew up with
0:17:56 > 0:18:00and then speaking to yourself and really understanding
0:18:00 > 0:18:04about these ancient traditions that in some way are so different
0:18:04 > 0:18:07to the way I celebrated it, but the essence of it
0:18:07 > 0:18:12is actually untouched and remains exactly the same.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19It's not only Zoroastrians who mark the festival in fire.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Two days before the Equinox,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27is the most exciting evening of the festival for Iranians.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33And it's all about fire.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Tonight is Chaharshanbe Suri.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51The favourite festival, particularly of children,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53cos they get to jump over fire.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00This year we're doing our own thing in the back garden.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Now, we're going to jump over fire.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- Do you know why we jump over the fire?- No!
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Well, we jump over fire, because we give the fire
0:19:08 > 0:19:10all the bad feelings we might have
0:19:10 > 0:19:12all the bad things that might have happened in the year,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and we just throw it in the fire and we forget about it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And from the fire we get the light of life.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21We get all the good things and all the happy things
0:19:21 > 0:19:23for the rest of the year.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25We say "Sorkhi-ye to az man."
0:19:25 > 0:19:28That means, "Your rosiness to me."
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Zardi-ye-man az to. My yellow, rubbishy feelings to you.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- Ready?- Yeah.- Good.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Sorkhi-ye to az man. Woooooooo!
0:19:37 > 0:19:42Zardi-ye-man az to. Woohoo!
0:19:42 > 0:19:46He's jumped over fire, but with an adult holding each hand
0:19:46 > 0:19:50and literally, you know, kind of lifting him safely over the fire.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55This year, he's six and he's quite a bold six-year-old
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and I think this year might be the first year
0:19:58 > 0:20:01where he has the confidence to jump over a little fire on his own.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- Would you fancy...- Can I do it on my own?- On your own?- Yeah.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- Do you think you can? - Yeah.- Come on, then.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Very excited. Proud moment!
0:20:10 > 0:20:11Sorkhi-ye to az man...
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- OK, I'm going to do it. - Let me hold your hand.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15No, no, no.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- Sorkhi-ye to az man... - I'm really scared.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- Woo!- Hurray!- Zardi-ye-man az to.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Good boy!
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- That was your first fire jump on your own.- I want to do it again!
0:20:32 > 0:20:36NoRuz was the time of the year where
0:20:36 > 0:20:39you felt that everything was happy and joyous
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and everyone came together.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44OK, come on, Mummy.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Sorkhi-ye to az man
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Zardi-ye-man az to!
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'And the spirit was just... your spirit was lifted.'
0:20:59 > 0:21:03With just 24 hours to go, it's time to prepare the NoRuz feast.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Showing me how it's done is another well-known Zoroastrian
0:21:10 > 0:21:14who was born in Bombay and came to this country over 20 years ago...
0:21:16 > 0:21:18..TV chef Cyrus Todiwala.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I am making what we call Saev, and that's vermicelli.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25So this is very Persian in its origin.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- Reshdi.- Reshdi, you call it?- Yeah.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- OK.- So in goes my vermicelli, which is broken.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35On NoRuz, on the day of the new year,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37this is what you'll sit down and have for breakfast.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40First thing in the morning. Mum would be up at 4 o'clock
0:21:40 > 0:21:43making all this stuff and always get the aromas in the house,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45already the cardamom, the rose,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- the vanilla's already flowing in the house, you know?- Yeah.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Then she'd make the house pretty.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52The garlands would come, there'd be garlands on every door.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54The lamps would be lit, the deva,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57when dad starts to pray first thing in the morning.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01What we'll do, because the oil is hot, I'll just fry the nuts.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03So we've got cashew nuts,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07almonds, pistachios and sultanas, OK?
0:22:07 > 0:22:10In my family, you're decked out in new clothes,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- everything has to be clean.- Oh, yes.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14And children get money as gifts.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Same. You might get a small envelope with a little bit of money inside.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- Yes.- Oldest aunt would always give me just two rupees
0:22:22 > 0:22:24but that two rupees meant a lot to me
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and some of the envelopes I've still not torn out
0:22:26 > 0:22:28with the two rupees inside. They're still with me.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31In the tray in the corner there, some rosewater.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- Rosewater.- Most important.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37How much do you reckon? Go on.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Ah! Can I tell you what that smells like to me?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42That smells like my grandmother's suitcase
0:22:42 > 0:22:44whenever she came to visit from Iran.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Everything smelt of rosewater.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49- It does.- Oh, Granny! - Give a squirt of it. Go on.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Right, how much shall I put in?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53- That much?- Go for it.- Go for it?
0:22:53 > 0:22:54- That's it, that's it.- OK.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Most Iranians, regardless of their religion, they celebrate NoRuz,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13so on the actual day, religion doesn't play
0:23:13 > 0:23:16ever such a massive part, but for you guys,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18you pray...it is about religion.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It's about both things, yes.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24The Zoroastrian believes in light. Sun gives life.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27When the sun changes its equinox, it is now out,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31so it is thanking God for sunshine now
0:23:31 > 0:23:33and so let new life begin.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36So we are talking about spring, you are talking about growth,
0:23:36 > 0:23:41you are talking about fresh plants in the soil, everything else.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43And gratitude, you're talking about gratitude.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46So it's all about that. So, madam, all done?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Like to try some? - Yes, please, immediately.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50Shall we start with the Saev?
0:23:50 > 0:23:51- Let's do it.- OK, let's do it.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I'll bring that forward a little bit.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Oh, that's just incredible.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- Altogether.- Oh, my goodness.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04For me, it's like visiting an old friend.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It's kind of home. It's lovely.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08That's actually quite nice to hear.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14What really struck me talking to Cyrus
0:24:14 > 0:24:17was the religious aspect of NoRuz
0:24:17 > 0:24:22because for my family, religion or God doesn't really play a part
0:24:22 > 0:24:25in the actual festivities as much as it does
0:24:25 > 0:24:28for Parsis and Zoroastrians.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30But essence of the celebration is the same.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34It's about celebrating light, it's about rebirth and re-growth
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and looking to the future with positivity.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45It's NoRuz, get excited. Whoo-hoo!
0:24:45 > 0:24:46Come on in.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50'The big day has finally arrived.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55'It's March the 20th and my family is gathering to celebrate NoRuz.'
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Cousin Leila has come all the way from Lincoln
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and she's half Iranian, like you.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07'The spring equinox can happen at any point of the day or night.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11'Luckily, this year it's in the afternoon.'
0:25:12 > 0:25:15We need to change you out of your clothes.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Wear your fancy NoRuz clothes, I bought you some new clothes today.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- Are we going to do some Iranian dancing later?- Maybe?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28At the Zoroastrian Centre,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31500 people have gathered to celebrate NoRuz.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40What's been really great is
0:25:40 > 0:25:42properly finding out about NoRuz
0:25:42 > 0:25:46and reconnecting with what an ancient ritual it is.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And how the things people celebrated
0:25:51 > 0:25:56thousands and thousands of years ago, are exactly the things,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58as human beings, we want to celebrate now.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The house has been spring cleaned,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06our negative thoughts have been thrown in the fire
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and we're decked out in our best clothes.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15We're ready to welcome in the new year.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Ah, Shaparak!
0:26:19 > 0:26:23I forgot quite how Iranian we are.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27There's been singing and dancing and everyone's been in a good mood.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Right, we've got 42 seconds left. 40 seconds left.
0:26:37 > 0:26:4039, 38...
0:26:41 > 0:26:46The moment of the equinox - 4.57 and seven seconds precisely -
0:26:46 > 0:26:48is almost here.
0:26:48 > 0:26:55Da, no, hash, haft, sish, han, shor,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58ser, dor, yes!
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Hoorah!
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Happy New Year!
0:27:07 > 0:27:11'Actually what we're celebrating is spring.'
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Give your mother a kiss. Happy NoRuz.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Happy New Year! Love you!
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And just letting go of all our worries.
0:27:22 > 0:27:29We want to celebrate a new year and joy and hope.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It feels kind of beautiful to know that,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35as human beings, we haven't changed at all, you know,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39we still want hope and we still want re-birth.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41Wiggle your hips.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I'm no longer going to treat it
0:27:58 > 0:28:01as something that we did when we were children.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05- Happy New Year!- Happy New Year!
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I think I'm going to do this every year. It's been lovely.