77. Iran 101: Cultural Preface

Hello, welcome. If you've been listening to Wiser World for a while now, you know that I created the Iran 101 series in 2022 and I re-aired it in 2025. But in our recent Venezuela 101 series, I realized I wanted to approach these deep dives a little differently. So for Venezuela, we began the whole series with a cultural preface. Where I introduced you to the people before diving into their history. And so many of you wrote in to say that it made the learning feel more human and grounded.

And I agree, I really, really liked it because we did that first and then we explored the history and then we kind of wrapped up with an interview and lessons learned and a bonus shorter episode for Patreon members and Venezuela 101 felt complete.

And I'm really proud of it. And so what we've decided to do is revisit all of our past 101 series in time. We're gonna have new 101 series sprinkled in there too. But in time, we're gonna revisit all of those and add the same elements, a cultural preface.

an interview, a lessons learned episode, all of these things that will help add a lot more depth to just the history. And we're gonna start with Iran. Many Iranians are pushing for meaningful change right now, and we want more people to understand what's at stake. So we're beginning this re-release with a cultural preface because to understand a country's history well, we really need to meet its people first. Too often Iran's story in the West gets flattened into politics and conflict.

And in that flattening, the people themselves almost disappear. And that is not what we want. We're gonna do the exact opposite in this episode. We're gonna talk about daily life, social codes, religion, family, food, pride, contradictions, the rhythms of ordinary existence. In Iran, because Iran's story does not begin in nineteen seventy nine with the revolution, and it doesn't end with what's going on right now. It begins and continues always with.

Welcome to Wiser World, a podcast for busy people who need a refresher on all things world. Here we explore different regions of the globe, giving you the and context you need to think historically about current events. I truly believe that the more we learn about the world, the more we embrace our Humanity. I'm your host, Allie Roper.

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And three hundred and sixty-five day returns now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com slash Wiserworld to get free shipping and three hundred and sixty-five day returns, quince.com slash wiserworld. My hope is that by the end of this episode you'll be able to picture and understand not just a little bit about Iranian culture.

But maybe a little bit more of what it feels like to be there. And keep in mind that I speak in generalities in this episode. Of course, every Iranian and Iranian family is unique. and layered. We're just giving a general sense of the place and people before you study their history. Just don't rush to any conclusions that all Iranians are the same because they're definitely not.

And I wrote this episode alongside two incredible Iranian women, Ersia and Lana. They spent hours going through every detail and added so much value. I'm incredibly grateful for their effort. time, insights. They were very generous and they recorded their thoughts on being Iranian. And they do a wonderful job. I share both of their thoughts.

at the end, so listen all the way through to hear their voices. Thank you again, Ersia and Lana. All right, let's dive in. Let's start by orienting ourselves for a minute.

So Iran has roughly ninety-two to ninety-three million people. That's a lot of people. It is the seventeenth most populous country in the world. Over seventy-three percent of its population lives in urban areas such as the capital city of Tehran. And geographically, Iran sits at the crossroads of Central Asia, Southwest Asia, North Africa, and the Caucasus, so it has a wide range of ecosystems. Iran's landscape ranges from high mountains and dry central plateaus.

to lush northern coasts and southern coastal lowlands, making it one of the most geographically varied countries. in the region, not to mention that it also is bordered by the Caspian Sea to the north, and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the south, which again contributes to its ecological diversity. Iranians often proudly say that Iran has four seasons, meaning

There are often Iranians skiing in the mountains on the same day that other Iranians are sunbathing in the south at the beach. Many people around the world imagine Iran as one hot desert, but that's just not true at all. It does have desert regions, of course, yes. But in that northern Caspian region, Iranians live in like a humid, rainy climate more similar to Vancouver, Canada.

And again, those mountainous regions have snow and those coastal cities are very hot and humid. So that is going to play into culture throughout the country as well. About sixty to sixty-five percent of Iranian people are Persian ethnically. Now ancient Persia, which hit its height around 550 to 330 BC. Stretched far beyond modern-day Iran, but the Persian Empire was centered in what is now Iran. It was the core of the empire.

The Persian Empire was one of the major world powers and was comparable in scale to Rome. It has a huge legacy of infrastructure, administration, cultural exchange that many view with deep respect. So when someone says they're Persian, they are usually saying that their cultural and ancestral roots tie to ancient Persia and that they speak Persian, which is also known as Farsi. This is an Indo-European language distantly related to English and French.

So words like mudar, which is mother and pidar, father, reflect that. There are many reasons why some Iranians, especially those who no longer live in Iran, choose to lead with Persian instead of Iranian when they're asked where they're from. Many do not want to be tied to the current Islamic Republic of Iran and the politics associated with it. And the term Persian connects them to that longer cultural and historical perspective, which are not as associated with the term Iran.

Airshiah put this really well when she said, quote, For many Iranians, especially in the diaspora, using Persian becomes a way to anchor identity. to a deeper civilizational history rather than in the political narratives that have dominated international perceptions in recent decades and associating with an occupying power that clearly doesn't represent Iranians. End of quote.

If there's one thread that runs consistently through Iranian identity, it would be national pride. Iranians are often misidentified as Arab, especially in Western countries. So many are quick to point out that they are not Arab. And they are surrounded by Arab and Turkic nations and see themselves as culturally unique in the region.

Persians speak of the founder of the Pers Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, with pride and respect and see themselves as inheritors of one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations. They carry deep pride in their poetry, their architecture, their landscapes and food and intellectual history.

And this pride isn't limited to people living inside of Iran. You see this just as strongly in the diaspora. It's one of the few things that truly unites Iranians of very different political views, and that pride shows up in personal life too. Here's a word you'll hear often, aber, which literally means the water of the face, and it means dignity, honor, and face. Protecting one's aberu is incredibly important.

Public embarrassment isn't just uncomfortable, it can feel catastrophic. People may go to great lengths to avoid losing face, sometimes even offering elaborate explanations instead of the blunt truth. To outsiders, that can feel a little confusing, but inside Iranian culture, preserving dignity, yours and theirs, is a sign of respect. Perhaps the most famously misunderstood Iranian custom is taraf. Now, taraf is a ritual of politeness, almost a social dance.

So a shopkeeper might refuse your payment or a taxi driver might wave off your money and say, oh, it's nothing. They don't actually mean it's nothing. The expected response is to politely insist, sometimes two or three times, before the offer is accepted. Now Ersia says this about Taroff, quote, In many ways, Tarov functions as a social mechanism for protecting Aberu, both yours and the other person's.

Iranian social interactions often prioritize preserving dignity, avoiding direct refusal, and preventing situations where someone might feel exposed, rejected, or embarrassed. Tarov refers to a set of cultural etiquette practices built around politeness, humility, and generosity in speech and behavior. For example, a host might insist multiple times that a guest eat more or stay longer, even if they know the guest may decline.

Similarly, someone might initially refuse payment or offer something out of courtesy, even when both parties understand the expected outcome. To non-Iranians, this can sometimes feel indirect or confusing. Culturally, the purpose is not deception. It is about creating a respectful emotional space where no one feels unwanted, indebted, or diminished.

In this sense, Taroff helps maintain social harmony by protecting Aberu. Taroff also exists along a spectrum. In close individual relationships, these gestures may be fully genuine expressions of care and generosity. In more formal or distant interactions they may function purely as social etiquette. The meaning often depends on context, relationship, and shared cultural understanding. End of quote.

So what I've learned is that taraf is a way of showing humility, generosity, and mutual respect. It's less about the literal words and more about preserving dignity on both sides. Another concept to know about is the idea of fate or sarnavesh. Now the word Sarnavesht literally means written ahead, so if someone survives an accident or avoids tragedy, they're more likely to credit fate than luck. The belief is that life unfolds as it was meant to.

Now this doesn't usually mean that they believe life is rigidly predetermined. Instead, fate often functions as a way to process uncertainty, loss, or outcomes beyond your control. People may work hard and make active choices and only afterward describe the result as fate. The language is often retrospective, kind of helping them cope or finding meaning rather than guiding their actions.

So it often softens disappointment, reduces blame or guilt. It just kind of frames difficult outcomes as part of a larger order rather than personal failure. And importantly, this language is often cultural rather than religious. It's used even by secular Iranians, much like English phrases like, oh, it was meant to be or everything happens for a reason. Pride, dignity, and fate shape how many Iranians move through the world. There's a strong sense that history matters, that honor matters.

And that life carries both meaning and inevitability. And once you begin to understand that emotional framework, so much else about Iran starts to make a little more sense.

So now we know that the majority of Iranians consider themselves Persian. But to understand Iran, we also have to understand Shia Islam to some extent. So Islam first came to Iran after the 7th-century Arab conquest. And over the centuries various forms of Islamic belief existed across the region. The split between Shia and Sunni Muslims began in the same century over who should lead the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad's death.

Shia Muslims believed leadership should remain with the Prophet's family. And Sunnis believe that the community should choose the next leader. But Iran did not become a Shia majority society until the early fifteen hundreds. That change happened when the Safavid dynasty rose to power and made Twelver Shia Islam the official state religion of their empire. The Safavid rulers used religion as part of state buildings.

They encouraged Shia institutions, they promoted Shia scholars, and sometimes enforced conversion among local populations in order to unify their diverse lands. and to distinguish their realm from powerful Sunni neighbors, especially the Ottoman Empire. So over the next century or two, this effort transformed Iran.

Today, Iran is often described simply as a majority Shia country. But like so many things, the lived reality today is more layered than a single statistic can capture. Over the past few decades, and especially in recent years, many Iranians' relationship to religion has been deeply shaped

by the actions of the Islamic Republic, which governs and controls explicitly in the name of Islam. Before the nineteen seventy nine Revolution, which we talk about in part two of the history, which will be episode seventy nine, Iran was not governed as a religious state. Religion was a part of society, yes. But it didn't dominate law or personal life or state authority the way that it does now. The Islamic Republic fundamentally changed all of that.

By embedding religious doctrine into the legal system, for example, making hijabs mandatory for women, or having a morality police. And as a result, a significant portion of society has distanced itself from religious practice or from the state's version of Islam. Because religion has become less associated with personal faith. and more with state enforcement. As Lana wrote, quote, this has created a complex and often painful relationship between the people and the religion itself.

At the same time, Iranian identity is not defined by the current regime. It is rooted in thousands of years of cultural continuity, poetry, art, intellectual tradition, hospitality, and a deeply human social fabric. that exists independently of political systems. The Islamic Republic represents only a small fraction of Iran's long history, and its religious framework should not be mistaken as the defining essence of Iranian culture or identity. End of quote.

This explains why in protests, one of the most consistent calls has been for the separation of religion and political power. And you can see this cultural shift in everyday life. Even in mourning practices, some families, especially after recent violence, have chosen music, celebration, or symbolic acts of life over traditional religious rituals. These choices are often misunderstood from the outside. They're not necessarily rejections of faith itself, but the expressions of a desire.

for freedom, freedom to believe, to practice, or not to practice without state control. So while Shia Islam has been the dominant religion over the past few centuries, the relationship between Iranian society and religion today is evolving and it has been shaped by political experience, generational change, and this growing call to separate personal faith from state authority.

Airshia put this well quote, experiences range from practicing and traditionally observant families to those who maintain certain customs for cultural or generational reasons. To people who are privately spiritual, secular in lifestyle, non-religious, or actively distancing themselves from religion altogether. End of quote. Many people associate mosques as closely tied to the state and therefore tied to surveillance, propaganda, and political and security forces.

So while religious infrastructure is very visible in Iran, many Iranians have a complex relationship with religion because of the way that religion has been politicized and used as a weapon of control. That being said, Friday is the country's main day of rest. So schools and offices are closed, families gather for lunch, many people head outdoors, you can find them in parks and mountains. There's often large family picnics and hiking groups or friends just sitting together outdoors having tea.

So while Friday is religiously significant, it's also social in Iran.

So we know the majority ethnicity, Persian, and the majority religion, Shia Islam. But Iran has many, many ethnic minorities as well. The largest minority group is the Azeris, who speak Turkic and mostly live in the northwest and in Tehran. In fact, more Azeris live in Iran than in the nation of Azerbaijan. Azaris are predominantly Shia Muslims and are generally well integrated into political and economic life. Another major minority includes the Kurds in the West, largely Sunni Muslims.

Arabs, both Sunni and Shia, Baluk in the southeast, mostly Sunni, and Turkmen in the northeast. And there is a much longer list than that, dozens and dozens more. These groups have distinct languages, history and cultural traditions. There are even Afro-Iranians who trace their history to when Africans were enslaved and brought into the Persian Gulf region. It's important to know that Iran is ethnically very diverse.

Even though the official legal framework recognizes and guarantees certain rights to some minority groups, the lived reality is more complicated. The Constitution names Shia Islam as the state religion and recognizes only Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian communities as religious minorities with the right to practice their faith.

and have reserved seats in parliament. But Legal recognition does not necessarily translate into full or even equal partn participation in social, political, or economic life.

While these recognized groups are permitted to worship in their own places and educate their children in their religion, they still face social and institutional constraints, including discrimination in employment, property rights, Public life, many minority groups face higher poverty rates, water security issues, housing problems. And the gap between official protection and lived reality is especially stark for communities that are not recognized, such as the Baha'is.

who have experienced decades of systemic persecution. Their civil rights are denied, they have severe barriers to education and employment, and sometimes are detained arbitrarily because of their faith. Converts to Christianity and those who leave Islam can face severe legal consequences or even execution. even in personal matters such as marriage, the law favors Islam, for example. A non-Muslim may be required to convert for a marriage.

to be legally recognized, many minority religions practice privately rather than publicly for this reason. And some don't even identify their religion at all because of the serious consequences involved. There are also Afghan migrants and refugees living in Iran. Millions have fled conflict and economic hardship over the past decades and often work in low-wage labor sectors and face discrimination and limited opportunities.

Regional migrant communities don't often receive great hospitality that maybe travelers might receive, which I'll talk about in just a minute. Let's pause here to talk about this episode's sponsor. So lately I feel like life has been cold days big goals and absolutely no time to cook. And one thing that's been helping me stay consistent is Factor. They deliver fully prepared meals that are designed by dietitians and crafted by chefs.

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Let's talk about social life for a minute. Now Iran today operates under some of the strictest Islamic laws in the region, and those laws are visible in everyday public life. Women are required to cover their hair in public and And they face a legal system that requires them to get permission from men to do many things, like obtain a passport or travel abroad. And I talk more in detail about these laws in parts one, two, and three of their Ron 101 series, which are the next three episodes.

But here are some things I don't talk about. So alcohol is not sold in stores, but homemade and underground alcohol is very common, especially in the cities. Most people know someone who brings in alcohol from neighboring countries and quietly distributes it and families will serve it in private social gatherings called mehmounies.

Now a fun side note, it's really common during Mehmouni to have potato chips and mastocare, which is a yogurt with cucumber and herbs. So just goes to show that even in the strictest rules, people will find a way around. Public displays of affection are also not permitted, so certain forms of entertainment, like mixed gender parties, western music concerts, Satellite television are restricted or tightly regulated. Any sort of concert environment

is generally very tightly controlled because the authorities are concerned that large gatherings with emotional release or collective joy could take on a political dimension. On the surface, this can all feel very formal and structured. But behind closed doors, things are often very different. Homes often feel relaxed and lively, families gather, they play music and dance, and conversations stretch late into the night. Iranian social life unfolds in the private sphere.

and it's often far more vibrant than you might expect. Another way to put this is that Iran operates with a strong divide between public and private life. Public spaces follow Islamic codes, dress regulations and modesty standards and formal structures, but private homes are different, and many Iranians describe their homes as sanctuary, as a place of authenticity. At the same time, there are serious legal realities that shape the broader framework of society.

Same-sex relationships are criminalized under Iranian law. The country maintains severe penalties for certain crimes, including capital punishment. But with a young, expressive, educated population, there is a constant negotiation between the laws of the Islamic regime and the people themselves.

For example, since the Woman Life Freedom Movement in 2022, some women will push the boundaries on their hijabs, either taking them off or wearing them in a way that covers less. There is still risk in this. But there's a stronger sense of solidarity that has built up in the last few years, and the morality police have become less of a day to day presence in many cities.

This is a big deal. Lana writes, quote, many women have continued to challenge enforcement openly, and there is a stronger collective willingness to assert personal autonomy despite the risks involved. In my own recent visits to Shiraz, it was common to see women in public spaces with looser or no hijab, and the once highly visible morality police presence appeared significantly reduced.

This was deeply striking to me personally. Having grown up in Iran, I remember how constant the fear of enforcement was, and how carefully we had to monitor ourselves in public. Seeing women in my city walking freely, their full hair uncovered and moving in the wind was something I never imagined I would witness.

I found myself crying, overwhelmed by the quiet courage and beauty of the moment. It reflected the resilience of women who continue to reclaim their presence in public despite the risks. End of quote. Basically what we're seeing today is that things are not static, but part of an ongoing and highly visible shift in how people navigate and challenge these imposed boundaries.

Coffee shops are popular places to debate politics, reformist newspapers have at times openly criticized government policies. Public life is dynamic. And perhaps nowhere is that tension clearer than in the lives of women. Iranian women are highly educated, outspoken, and deeply present in public life. They drive, work, Teach, study, debate, build careers, especially in medicine, engineering, and academia, and university classrooms are often majority female.

So Iran holds a tension, a conservative legal structure, alongside a society that's vibrant, opinionated, and constantly negotiating how tradition and modern life can coexist. constraint and agency exist at the same time. And I think understanding that tension is key to understanding modern Iran.

Politics aside for just a second, people who travel to Iran often say how wonderfully hospitable the people are. People often strike up conversations with you, ask you where you're from, want to know what you think of Iran. Invitations to tea or meals are very common. And there's just a lot of small gestures of kindness, like someone paying your taxi fare or offering you sweet. And that happens with strangers too. Part of this comes from a cultural value placed on friendship.

and the belief that people should show up for each other, especially after years of war and economic strain. At the center of Iranian friendship is the extended family. Families tend to be close-knit. They gather often for celebrations and mourning, and family loyalty is very important. People also stay friends with their schoolmates. long after they graduate. One of the biggest surprises that many don't know about is the gap between public political rhetoric

and everyday human interaction. So Iran's government frequently uses anti-Western slogans and messaging. You might hear chants like Death to America in public settings. While some Iranians feel strongly that foreign powers have repeatedly interfered in how Iran has developed, most ordinary people just see this as politics and their criticism is directed at governments and not individuals. So

In daily life, foreigners are more likely to be met with curiosity and kindness than hostility. Most Iranians are comfortable separating politics from personal relationships. many families have relatives living in the United States or Europe and are quite familiar with Western culture. So while public rhetoric can sound really intense,

Personal interactions are often warm and generous. And I think that this is something many of us in the West can learn from Iranians. It is possible to keep politics and relationships separate, and I really admire that quality. Iranians are also expressive. They move their hands while they talk. Gesture is part of communication. And in a society that places enormous value on respect and dignity,

Certain gestures are deeply meaningful. So touching both hands to the forehead, for example, signals great respect. Placing a hand over the heart conveys sincerity or gratitude. And never ever do thumbs up. That's not good. Lana talks about the expressiveness in Iranian culture very well when she says quote This emotional expressiveness is also deeply embedded in the Persian language itself. Which is inherently poetic and affectionate.

Many everyday phrases carry emotional depth that sound unusually intense when translated literally, but feel completely natural to Persian speakers. For example, Hurbunet Bearam literally means I sacrifice myself for you and is used as a warm expression of affection, similar to saying, you are dear to me. Another beautiful phrase is jet hali, which literally means your place is empty. It's said when someone is absent from a gathering to acknowledge that their presence was missed.

It reflects how strongly Iranians associate people with place and how absence is felt as something tangible. Similarly, when missing someone personally, Iranians say Delam Barat Teng Shude, which translates literally to my heart has become tight for you. It expresses longing in a deeply emotional way that goes beyond simply saying, I miss you. These expressions reflect how Persian communication prioritizes emotional closeness.

poetic imagery, and openly expressing care for others. End of quote. I love that. I know that there's beautiful poetry in every language, but this just feels like next level. It's just beautiful. I've also learned that Iranians love to laugh. at wordplay, at sharp political satire, at slapstick television comedy. And recent years jokes have traveled quickly through text messages and social media and they poke fun at politics or other tensions and I think humor becomes

a safe release valve, kind of a way to critique and cope at the same time, which reminds me a lot of Venezuela. So Venezuelans and Iranians have this in common with each other. And like most places around the world, Iranians also joke about each other. Conversation in Iran tends to be personal. People may ask about your marriage status or your salary or your religion with very little warm-up. Politics is also a pretty common topic, both Iran's internal politics and global affairs.

And many Iranians are unusually willing to discuss serious issues openly in public spaces like buses or metro trains. I have found this to be true for myself. A few years ago I met a wonderful Persian man in my neighborhood at a park. And at that time I knew very little about Iran, but we started talking about it and the next time I saw him

He gifted me a four-inch thick book on the history of Iran. And it is still a gift that I treasure. And I love that he saw my interest and he met it very quickly with very little warm-up. And I'll always love him for that. One uniquely Iranian phrase you'll hear everywhere is Hashteh Nabashi, which literally translates to don't be tired.

But what it's meaning is that when you're seeing someone who's working or serving or climbing or even exercising, it's more of a way of saying, I see your effort or thank you for your work. And it's like a social way of acknowledging effort in a warm, considerate way.

Iranians take hospitality very seriously, and once you step inside someone's home, you'll often feel that atmosphere shift away from rules and pressure to more warm, relaxed vibes. And in Iran, if you're invited to someone's home, it's considered polite to bring a small gift.

So a box of shirini, which is sweets, is a classic choice. When you arrive, you're gonna take off your shoes at the door, partly out of respect and partly because Persian carpets are central to Iranian homes and nobody wants the street brought inside. The first thing you'll be offered is tea and then more tea. In many homes tea is brewed strong. It's often sipped through a sugar cube held between the teeth.

and it's served over and over throughout the visit. A bowl of fresh fruit and dried nuts are always on the table. You may also see cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes, or other fresh herbs. And it's completely normal to snack before the main meal.

Meals themselves can be served in different ways depending on the household. In more traditional settings, food may be laid out on a cloth on the floor with everyone seated around it. In many urban households, meals are more commonly eaten at a table as a group. In times of abundance, Iranian meals are big and you can expect rice, stews,

kebabs and multiple rounds of servings, including desserts and fruit and more tea. Iranians care a lot about side dishes and see them as important as the main dish. So Airshe says quote. The way food is eaten is also ritualistic. Rather than eating each item separately, people build bites by combining elements from the table. A piece of bread or a spoonful of rice might be eaten together with herbs, yogurt, pickles, or other sides.

The experience comes from layering flavors and textures to create a vibrant, balanced bite. In many ways, the meal is less about a single central dish and more about the collective spread and the sensory experience it creates. This reflects a broad food culture that values freshness and the harmony of flavors. End of quote.

Geez, she's making me hungry. Unfortunately, however, gathering often and having large meals also has changed over time. And due to economic mismanagement and sanctions, inflation corruption in the government, the cost of basic food items has risen, and larger family gatherings are becoming less frequent. But people still love to get together, and no host would ever hint that it's time to leave, and gatherings often naturally wind down pretty late, sometimes around midnight.

Iranians are very proud of their food, and Kaebab is not a late-night fast food there. Instead, it's carefully grilled over charcoal, and it's served with basmani rice and often topped with saffron or barberries. Some other famous dishes are stews like gourmet sabzi or fesenjun, which is a pomegranate and walnut dish brought out on special occasions. Sweet flavors often appear in savory dishes, which is a legacy of centuries old culinary traditions.

Because Iran is so large, each area has its own specialties and ingredients too, based on the climate and agriculture of that particular region. For example, in the south there's gonna be more seafood, right? The key thing about Iranian food is the focus on freshness and on the ingredients. However, one of the most Iranian foods you'll ever eat is Tadig. And this literally translates to the bottom of the pot. It's a crispy golden layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pot.

And it's not just a side detail, it's often the most fought over and cherished part of the meal. It turns a simple pot of rice into something very special, and it takes a lot of patience and trial and error to master how to make it. Additionally, bread is sacred in Iran. They take bread very seriously, and they usually won't eat it if it's not fresh. This is largely because if you wait too long to eat it, it will become so crisp it's almost inedible. It's baked several times a day fresh.

and it's bought warm from local bakeries. And there are four main types. Each has its loyal fans, but waking up early and standing in line for fresh bread is part of daily life in Iran. It's that daily rhythm. Eating out does exist, but many Iranians will tell you that restaurant food cannot compete with what's made at home. And still urban food is evolving. Trendy coffee shops and fast food spots have become more popular social places for young people in the cities.

and traditional tea houses still remain gathering places for older people. But people really like to eat at home.

In the last few decades, there has been a series of migrations to the cities for more economic opportunity. However, village life follows a little bit of a different rhythm. Multiple generations may live together, and the lifestyle can be simpler and more communal. But as cities get more polluted and crowded and the cost of living rises, many people, especially younger people, have started returning to smaller towns and villages when possible, even if it's just for a short time to recharge.

Now let's talk a little bit about relationships and marriage. So traditionally, marriage has been considered one of the central milestones of life, and Iranians have tended to marry in their early 20s. It has not only been seen as a romantic decision, but also tied to financial stability. Family plays a pretty big role in choosing a spouse in many households. Parents, especially mothers, have a lot of influence in the process.

However, this is changing for many young Iranians as well. Dating is now much more common. And due to the current economic situation, Proving your financial stability has become more difficult for the groom, who has traditionally needed to present his financial stability before the marriage. So many younger people are delaying marriage or reconsidering the timing altogether. That said, as with much in Iran, there are generational differences and expectations depending on your upbringing.

So weddings are typically big, elaborate affairs, and guests love to dress up and have huge feasts and celebrate late into the night. It's one of the few occasions where music and dancing can happen more openly. Children are also beloved in Iranian culture. It's common for strangers to compliment and dote on children in public. Education is also highly valued. Competition for university placements pretty intense.

And academic achievement does carry prestige. Degrees do not always guarantee employment, however, and that has led to a lot of frustration and immigration among some of the most highly educated young people. Appearance also matters, so Iranian youth, both men and women, tend to care a lot about how they present themselves.

Older generations do as well. But if we're focusing in on the youth, this is very important to them. And this ties back to Aberu, right? Presenting yourself well is a way to have dignity and respect.

Let's talk a little bit about holidays and festivals. So Iran has an unusually large number of national holidays, which are a mix of ancient Persian festivals, Islamic holy days, and anniversaries tied to the 1979 revolution. One important nuance is that while Islamic holidays are part of Iran's official calendar, their emotional resonance varies widely. So many of these observances are heavily promoted by the state.

So public participation is often shaped more by politics than by your personal devotion. For example, government employees are at risk of losing their jobs if they don't join in. On some public displays of religious devotion. For many Iranians, especially those who are more secular or culturally oriented, The most meaningful celebrations are the ancient Persian holidays, which predate Islam and are deeply tied to national identity and cultural continuity.

Noaruz is a great example of this. It's a Persian holiday that is the most widely celebrated holiday of the year. It's Persian New Year. And I have a full episode on it if you'd like to learn more. It's episode 37. It's pretty short. But Noruz lasts nearly two weeks and ends with a day of outdoor picnics known as the Day of Nature. It's a big deal in Iran and a beautiful holiday, so that's episode thirty seven if you want to learn about it.

There's also Shabi Yalda or Yalda Night, which is one of the oldest and most beloved celebrations in Iranian culture. It marks the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, and its roots stretch back thousands of years. To pre Islamic Persia, particularly Zoroastrian traditions that honored the triumph of light. Over darkness. So families gather late into the night. They stay awake together almost symbolically, as if helping the sun push through the darkness.

It's an intimate, poetic holiday. It's centered on warmth and storytelling and being together and people eat symbolic foods. like pomegranates and watermelon, and that deep red color represents life and the promise of dawn. And of course poetry is part of it, especially Hafez, which families open his book and read verses aloud.

Sometimes looking for a line that feels like guidance for the year ahead. And unlike religious holidays, Yalda is cultural. It's celebrated across religious, generational, and political lines. and in many ways it captures something essential about Iranian identity, that love of poetry, the importance of family, the power of symbolism, and that quiet belief that even on the longest night of the year, Eventually everything gives way to light.

Nu är Jonas. Du är snickan som blev trött på få dina verktyg stular du gör bilen. Men du har löst problemet. Det visar så att frågelskrämmer och inte bara avskack och frågla utan även tjuva. Aha, en tjuvskrämma. Dagens hjälper lite att presenteras av if som hjälper mycket. Some of the major Islamic holidays include Ashura, which marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, and is one of the biggest days of the religious year.

Ramadan is also observed, which is when observing Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for about a month, and ends in a huge celebration called Eid al Fitr. I also have an episode on Ramadan. That's episode 23 if you want to learn more about that. People also take pilgrimages to major shrines, such as the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashad. There are a lot of holidays that we could talk about. Th those are the most common ones.

Iranians also take their leisure seriously and make time to be together and celebrate during those holidays. Being alone in Iran is very unusual. They are very social people. and on Fridays you'll see the hiking trails fill up with people of all ages, right? Now Sports is a big deal and football or soccer as it's sometimes called here in the United States.

is a big unifier. Iranians have a history of celebrating big when they win, with people in the streets and cars honking and waving flags. And Iran has qualified for multiple World Cups. Rivalries run deep at the club level. However, unfortunately, in recent years, many people have felt conflicted about supporting national teams. For some, state symbols like the official name and flag now feel tied to the government more than to the people.

As a result, those street celebrations that once felt universal are no longer as widespread. Some athletes have spoken out, resigned, or faced pressure and consequences for expressing solidarity with protest movements. So for many Iranians today, the question is no longer just whether to support a team, but what national representation actually means and who it represents.

Women's sports have grown in more recent decades, though in gender-segregated settings and with Islamic dress rules. In fact, some Iranian female athletes have used their platforms at great risk to show their frustrations with the government. One major limitation remains, and that is that women have long faced restrictions about attending men's football matches, which is a hotly debated topic. For something uniquely Iranian, there's Zurkhane, which is the house of strength.

It's not a gym in the way that you might think of one. It's rooted in an older Persian tradition called Palevani, which is less about muscles and more about character. So Palevani is a moral code built around humility, discipline, generosity, courage, and service to others. And physical strength is important, but only if it's paired with moral strength. So if you step into a zircane, the place itself, that space, feels symbolic.

It's usually circular and slightly sunken below ground level, almost like stepping into a sacred arena. And athletes move in rhythm and they lift these wooden clubs. and they spin them and perform push-ups and practice wrestling techniques. all timed to the beat of a drum. And the session is led by a morshed, which is a guide who sits slightly elevated and plays a goblet drum and chants poetry, often from hufes or epic verses from famous books.

And his role isn't just musical. He sets the tone, he calls out virtues, he reminds the athletes that strength without humility is empty. And in that sense, Zurkane has long been understood as a spiritual practice. as much as a physical one. So I'm going to share more about this on Patreon. If you're interested in learning more about it, you can go to patreon.com slash WeiserWorld Podcast.

Iranian film has also earned global praise for its artistry and subtle storytelling. Filmmakers often work within tight censorship boundaries, and some have faced bans or house arrest while continuing to create films that quietly critique. Society. Traditional Persian music is also beloved, and they have a symphony orchestra in Tehran that is world renowned.

All public music must receive authorization from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to perform publicly, which means that many musicians operate in informal or diaspora spaces. A large Persian music industry thrives abroad, especially in Los Angeles, and much of that music makes its way back into Iranians' cars and living rooms at home.

Art and poetry are alive and well and poetry is a huge deal. Arguably the most famous Persian poets are Hafez and Rumi, and Iranians often quote them in everyday, normal conversation. In fact, when I had a conversation with my friend who is Iranian, the first thing he said to me is, We love poetry and we love to quote it. Young people should know poetry. I love that. Persian rugs or far.

aren't just decorative items, they are considered one of Iran's greatest artistic achievements. Each region has its own patterns and symbolism and weaving techniques. And even specific color palettes. And many of these rugs are handmade over months, sometimes years. And when you really look closely, you realize you're looking at something that carries time inside it. Lana says, quote, My personal favorite are silk rugs.

Which are the most delicate and refined. They are made with extremely fine silk threads, allowing for highly detailed, almost paint-like patterns. Silk rugs also have a unique luminous quality, reflecting light in a way that makes the colors appear richer. They are often treasured as heirlooms due to the level of craftsmanship involved. End of quote. Another art form that feels very Iranian is Persian calligraphy, where poetry literally becomes visual art.

Verses from poets are written in elegant scripts and they're not just decoration, they are words made sacred through art. Poetry is so embedded in the culture that even the walls reflect it. Honestly, we could fill episodes with the incredible artistry that exists in Iran. I'm gonna share a number on Patreon if you would like to learn more.

Alright, to wrap up this episode, I want to share Ersia and Lana's perspectives with you. So they have recorded these for us to listen to, and we're going to start with Lana first. Here are her thoughts. Growing up in Iran was beautiful. It was rich with culture, poetry, family, and traditions that gave life so much meaning. There is a warmth in Iranian culture. The way people gather, the way they speak, the way they care for one another. That stays with you forever. It becomes part of you.

But at the same time, life existed under constant pressure from the Islamic Republic. gender separation and cultural censorship were just part of daily life. From schools to public spaces. From a very young age, I was required to wear a hijab in public. Not because my family chose it, because the law required it. My family wasn't religious, but outside of our home, religion wasn't a choice. Thank you.

It was something enforced through rules, expectations, and even consequences, severe consequences. In school, religion was part of the curriculum, whether you believed in it or not. And you learned very quickly that there were things that you could say at home and things you could never say outside. Your real personality, your humor, your opinions, your freedom existed more fully behind closed doors.

That created a dual identity very early on. There was who I was in the safety of my home and who I had to be outside just to exist safely. When I immigrated to the United States at sixteen, that duality didn't disappear. It evolved. Suddenly I was navigating two worlds, trying to belong in the new country while carrying the imprint of another one inside me.

High school was specially disorienting. I wanted to blend in. I wanted to learn everything those American kids seem to know naturally, so I could feel normal. But at the same time, I carried a whole other world within me, one shaped by a different language, different history and different emotional reality. And to this day, I still feel that duality in my workspace, in my daily life.

It has shaped how I see the world, how I communicate, and how I move through different spaces, always aware of where I come from and where I am. Now, having lived in the US for more than half of my life, that dual identity still exists, but I've learned to embrace it. It no longer feels like something broken. It feels rich. It's given me a perspective. It's given me resilience. It's giving me empathy. It's allowed me to stay deeply connected to where I come from while fully becoming who I am.

And interestingly, the more I've grown into myself, the closer I've felt to my roots. I've held on to celebrations like Noruz, Yada, Charshamisuri. These traditions remind me that Iranian identity is not defined by politics and government or imposed religion. It's defined by our culture, by the memories that I have, and human connection. It's also important to understand that not all Iranians are Muslim or even religious. Many practice other faiths. Many don't practice religion at all.

And some belong to religion minorities that face real limitations and discrimination under the Islamic Republic. For many people, religion stopped being about personal faith and became something enforced by the state. And that created a painful duality for millions of people. Between who they are privately and who they must appear to be publicly in order to stay safe.

The Islamic Republic fundamentally reshaped Iran by embedding religion into the legal system and enforcing it through punishment and control. And in recent years the world has witnessed the consequences of that control. Since the women's life freedom movement began in twenty twenty two, Iranians have faced brutal crackdowns, mass arrests, imprisonment, and executions simply for demanding basic human rights. And then in December twenty twenty five protests erupted again.

By January twenty twenty six, just last month, millions came to the street. And the regime responded with extreme violence. Close to 40,000 people were killed in just two days. Thousands were injured, thousands were arrested, and many of those arrested are still facing imprisonment and the threat of execution. This was not an isolated incident. It was a massacre. Roads that should have been filled with strong voices of beautiful Iranian people were filled with blood.

Families were shattered. The regime shut down communication and restricted internet access, trying to hide the scale of what had happened. This is not simply a political conflict. It's a humanitarian crisis. 90 million people living under fear, surveillance, and repression. Most feel trapped, controlled by a system they did not choose. And yet, despite all of that, the Iranian people remain deeply human. Deeply cultured and deeply resilient.

Iranian identity is not defined by the regime. It is rooted in thousands of years of poetry, art, hospitality, and emotional depth. What I hope people understand is this. We Iranians are not defined by our government. We are defined by our humanity, by our love of beauty. By our humor, by our resilience, by our dignity. And no matter where we live, in Iran or anywhere else in the world, we carry that identity with us.

It lives in our language, in our tradition, and who we choose to become. Lana, thank you so much. That was absolutely beautiful. Here is Ersia adding her thoughts.

This is a very emotional subject for me to speak about and I had to record myself multiple times. It is also incredibly hard to speak about Iran without politics because for Iranians almost every aspect of life is intertwined with politics. the ability to separate identity from political reality is in many ways a privilege. Especially since our people struggle for sovereignty and self-determination is ongoing and it shapes how we understand ourselves.

However, if I were to describe what it means to be Iranian beyond politics, I would start here. that Iran is not its government. It never has been. Empires, rulers, and political systems, they come and go. History makes that very clear. What remains is always the people themselves. Iran is its people, its memory, its language, its grief, its poetry, its resistance.

It's a civilization that has lived through invasions, revolutions, occupations, and regimes for thousands and thousands of years, and somehow, through all of it, has remained itself. Being Iranian today often means holding multiple truths at once. Grief, hope, distance, belonging, loss, pride, and joy. There is a kind of endurance and resistance in Iranian people that maybe is difficult to understand unless you have lived inside it. Whether in the country or in the diaspora.

For generations Iranian people have learned how to carry life forward under immense pressure, to celebrate life anyway, to create beauty in small spaces with whatever they have. to laugh, to dance, to gather, to cook, to coat poetry, to fall in love with life, even when life has not been gentle with them.

This remind me of my grandmother. She used to say that life is like water. It finds a way to move, to flow, to continue and From the outside, what you most often see about Iran is politics, propaganda, and regime sanctioned misinformation. But inside what exists is a culture built on resilience, emotional and intellectual depth. care for one another and a shared understanding that we are connected through something much older and much deeper than any government. There is also a shared pain.

not only the pain of what people inside Iran are living through, but the pain of separate separation. For those of us in exile in the diaspora there is A quiet grief that lives with us every day you carry your country in your language, in your food, in your memories, in the way you speak to your parents on the phone. You watch from far away as people you love. lived through a lot of uncertainty, oppression, and life threatening injustices.

There is a sense of helplessness that you you can never fully let go of. sometimes this the homesickness comes unexpectedly In the warmth of sunlight, the smell of rain, the sight of mountains, the sound of the sea, the breeze of the wind on your face. There is a saying among Iranians outside Iran Manas Iran Rafdam Vali Iran as Manara. I left Iran, but Iran did not leave me.

You start to live from Kinda between worlds, you build a life elsewhere, you learn to belong, but a part of you is always Orient over tome. Sometimes it shows up as longing, sometimes as survivor guilt, sometimes as fierce need to protect the image of your people when the world only sees headlines. Despite everything though, pride remains. I want to say this here that I am incredibly proud of my people. My deepest admiration is for those inside the country, especially the younger generations.

They are carrying a weight that no generation should have to carry. And yet they continue to choose courage, they continue to question, to imagine something better, to refuse fear as the language of their lives. The future of Iran is always visible in our people, in our humor, in our generosity, the way strangers show up for one another. The way community forms quickly and deeply, the way people hold on to joy, even when joy itself becomes an act of resistance.

Recently my parents told me about a family friend who was hospitalized after being severely injured during the January Internet blackout. they had lost their spouse to direct gunfire Still, flowers were sent to the hospital. The delivery person themselves had pellet wounds on their hands, and yet they were there with flowers, with love and with compassion.

so much so they refuse to accept money, saying, Your husband gave his life for this country. I cannot take money from you. If you ever need anything, call me. I will come. Moments like this show something really important that despite fear, despite loss, despite everything, people are holding each other up. That is the Iran that endures, the people who remain, and they do not let each other stand alone.

If there is one thing I would want your listeners to carry with them is that Iranians are not descent from you. There are people who want the same things most people want. Dignity, safety, joy, freedom, and the simple ability to live life fully without fear. I want to finish with a poem because no Iranian story feels complete without poetry. Perhaps the feeling I carry is best described by the words of Sadis Shirazi, written more than seven hundred years ago.

Human beings are members of a whole, in creation of a sense and soul. If one member is afflicted with pain, other members uneasy will remain. If you have no sympathy for human pain, the name of human you cannot retain. Perhaps this is what our history has taught us, that our humanity is bound to one another, and empathy is what the world needs most, today more than ever.

Ersia, thank you. I am so moved. And I'm so grateful for Ersia and Lana for their incredible contributions to this episode. I cannot overstate how much value they brought to this and how grateful I am for their attention to detail and their beautiful ways of expressing their culture.

I have loved learning about Iran's culture with you. I've been reminded that Iran is a civilization layered with poetry, etiquette, pride, contradiction, humor, resilience. It's a place where medieval verses are quoted in traffic jams. and the people are not a monolith and they want change.

And so while this is only a brief overview of Iran culturally, I have found it so helpful. And now when we dive into Iran's political history and economic changes and current protests, we will hopefully will better understand the people who live there and how they think and what they may value and what everyday life looks like.

And I think that's great. If you would like to see some of these unique cultural parts of Iran visually, head over to my Patreon at patreon.com slash wiserworld podcast, where I will be highlighting Iranian creators. I'll be sharing visuals and videos and articles to help you get a better picture of what we're talking about. And if you learned something today, please share it with a friend over social media or a text.

You can also join my free email newsletter that goes out every single week by going to wiserworld.com or clicking on the link in my show notes. Also, please join us on Instagram at Wiserworld Podcast and consider subscribing to the podcast on your favorite app so you always know when new episodes drop. Parts one, two, and three of the history will re-air next. And we'll take Iran from the late 1800s all the way until 2026, early 2026. And until then, let's make the world a little wiser.

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