00:00For me, Nowruz jest connected to the beauty of spring
00:03and new beginnings.
00:06I remember, when I was a child
00:10and my mother and my grandmother together,
00:14we always made cookies, pastries,
00:19and I always decorated.
00:21It is the most special holiday for me.
00:28We're preparing a lot of food, decorating,
00:32and setting the traditional table.
00:35Spending time together as a family
00:38is the most important part for me.
00:41I feel most connected to the shant of
00:44homemade national pastries
00:47like shakerbura and pachlava
00:49and simple celebrating spring with my family.
00:59Nowruz is a very ancient celebration.
01:02It celebrates the ancient elements
01:06of water, fire, land and wind.
01:10It represents the end of the old year
01:14and the start of the new year,
01:15the new growing season
01:17when plants start to grow,
01:20the land becomes green
01:21and it's time to go out and look at the beautiful scenery
01:26in Azerbaijan as it becomes green
01:28during the next few months.
01:30It's a time of fresh starts.
01:33It's actually meant for a lot more.
01:36We can celebrate as a family
01:38or as a people
01:39or anyone can celebrate it,
01:42especially as a group,
01:44because that's how it's meant to be.
01:46During the month leading up to the actual holiday,
01:53the fire element is celebrated
01:55notably by children setting small fires in the streets
01:59and running and jumping over them.
02:01It's a time for families to get together.
02:04Always, whether in Azerbaijan or in my home in England,
02:10the family is always together.
02:12I also think of it as a connection to our culture in general.
02:17Especially in times like Nowruz,
02:20everyone can participate,
02:21even the people that are not from here.
02:24Even tourists,
02:26small kids,
02:28all old people,
02:30anyone.
02:31Nowruz is my birthday
02:33and I celebrate with the family.
02:37I would be called Nowruz
02:40if I was born in Azerbaijan,
02:41I'm sure.
02:43On stage everything is intense
02:45and very visible.
02:47At home during Nowruz
02:49is calm and full of warmth.
02:52It is a completely different kind of energy.
02:57It is a completely different kind of energy.
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