hi guys in this video I am going to tell
you some facts you probably never heard
before about my home country, Iran
This episode is part of a new series where I will
share a collection of interesting facts
about different destinations in the world
Iran is not an Arab country and
Iranians are Persian
Most countries in the Middle East speak Arabic but we, Iranians, don't speak Arabic we speak Persian
also known as Farsi. 61% of
Iranians are Persian, while the rest of
the population of the country  consists of Azeris, Kurds, Lors, Arabs, Baluchs and other ethnic groups
In Iran is not 2020 is 1399
Iran has its own calendar which is a
solar calendar meaning that its time
reckoning is based on the Earth's
movement around the Sun. The first day of the year
is the first day of spring which is called Nowruz
The first six months have 31 days
the following 5 months have 30 days and
the last month normally has 29 days but
30 days in leap years
Iran or Persia
Persia is Iran's old name. In 1935, Reza
Shah, king of Iran at the time changed the
name of the country from Persia to Iran
Iran means the land of Aryans
Iranian cuisine is delicious
Iranian dishes usually come with rice or a variety of flatbread
Slow-cooker stood with rice are the most popular dishes in Iran
there are a variety of Kebab dishes too
Iranians love to have side dishes like
salad or fresh herbs for every meal
The weekend in Iran is Friday
The weekend in Iran is Thursday and Friday
Thursday is like Saturday banks and some shops are opened while some offices are closed but
Friday is like Sunday everything is
closed
Thumbs up is bad, really bad in Iran
When you are in Iran don't give
the thumbs-up sign to anybody, basically
giving a thumbs up is like holding up
your middle finger. So don't do it when you are in Iran
But you should definitely give my video a thumbs up right now and of course, subscribe
Iran is home to Zoroastrianism one of the oldest regions in the world
The religion was founded by the prophet Zoroaster in the 6th century BC
There are still Zoroastrians living in the country today
Even though the majority of Iranians are Muslims nowadays
some of the main Zoroastrian’s feasts are still celebrated by all Iranians
Some of these festivities are Nowruz, Yalda, Charshanbe Souri
Iranians say things they don't mean
When we talk to friends or family members we normally say
phrases like “Ghorbunet Beram” or “Fadat”, which mean ”I will sacrifice myself for you”
but we don’t really mean it. Sometimes we want to show our love
but some other time we just use it to end a conversation in a polite way
The unique culture of Taarof
this is another example of the previous
fact but this one is a little bit more
complicated. Taarof is a social principle
where people tend to be really really polite
For example when you are a guest
your host might offer you something you
should always reply with nah mercy
which means no thanks, don't worry they
will make the offer again then you can accept it
Another example is when you are saying bye to your host
the host might ask you to stay longer.
keep in mind maybe your host doesn't
mean it. you should say no thanks, it is
getting late. This might go on for a while
If you really want to know if your host means it, so ask if this just Taarof or not
another example oh I like your hat. 
oh thank you you can have it.
No, I don't want it but it's so pretty. 
you can have it.
No it is  pretty on you oh thank you
this is how you should end the
conversation with Iranian
Blowing your nose in public is rude
Blowing your nose might sound natural but don't do it when you are in public in Iran
if you do it you will get some ugly looks
blowing your nose in public is
considered gross and rude in the
Iranian culture so if you have to do it
you should use the washroom or any other private space
Iranians love tea
Iranians love drinking tea. Iranian tea
is brewed black tea without milk
tea is served at every gathering in Iran
and most Iranians drink tea after each meal
Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei rituals
Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei rituals are one
of the ancient traditional sports in Iran
which is listed on the UNESCO intangible heritage this sport was a
traditional system to train warriors in
the past
the majority of university students are
females in Iran
despite considerable restriction for
female which prevents them from joining
some university courses more than 65% of university students in Iran are women
getting a degree in higher education is
very common for Iranian women
The Iranian drink Aragh Sagi is strong
Alcohol has been illegal in Iran since 40 years ago
but this doesn't mean Iranians forgot their tradition
Some still drink secretly.Aragh Sagi, also known as “Persian vodka”
usually contains 50% alcohol but it can be even higher than that the high- quality one
tastes like grappa
One last thing, Iran is a beautiful country with
the stunning mountains, lush forests and
amazing landscapes and deserts
Iranians are famous for their hospitality as Iranians say be omide didar which means
I hope to see you again
