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With the second and third generation of Zoroastrians being born and raised abroad, is there still a desire to maintain and follow the traditional lagan-navjote customs? Considerably, it would appear from the responses received from North America, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Pakistan to the questionnaire sent out by Parsiana to determine the mode of festivities among Parsis and Iranians in countries other than India. Priests and prayers continue to be given due importance. Among Parsis, substantial time and expenses are borne to dress in the traditional attire. And even if the lagan nu patru may not always be practical, the celebratory meal often includes a couple of Parsi and Persian dishes specially cooked by chefs who have been familiarized with the recipes.
We had written to office bearers and/or long-standing active members of the community in sizable Zoroastrian pockets, approaching more than one person from different regions to gain a wider perspective. From North America, we received seven responses from: Homi Gandhi, president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA), Ervads Arda-e-Viraf Minocherhomjee and Soli Dastur from the North American Mobeds Council, former FEZANA president Framroze Patel, erstwhile and current editor of FEZANA Journal, Roshan Rivetna and Dolly Dastoor, and Aban Rustomji who heads the FIRES (FEZANA Information, Research, Education System) committee of FEZANA.
"Weddings and navjotes are happy occasions and oftentimes an excuse for family reunions. They hold great significance not only for the children being initiated or married, but also for their parents and extended family elders who see their religious and ethnic traditions being passed down,” stated Gandhi.
Regarding the practices prevalent in the UK, our questions were answered by Dorab Mistry, former president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), administrative secretary of ZTFE and marriage registrar Roshan Avari and ZTFE resident mobed Ervad Yazad Bhadha. "It must be borne in mind that the traditional Zoroastrian marriage where both spouses are Parsi-Irani is now in a minority. About 60-70% of marriages involve one non-Zoroastrian spouse. However, there is great enthusiasm to observe Zoroastrian attire, cultural rituals and food,” said Mistry.
From Australia, Ervad Peshotan Katrak of Sydney and Firoz Pestonji, chair of the 11th World Zoroastrian Congress in Perth responded.  "Most families try to keep the traditions alive depending on the most authentic items available,” stated Pestonji.
An overview of the practices in Hong Kong was provided by Neville Shroff,  president of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macao, who referred to "an increase in interfaith connections,” an observation confirmed by financial analyst Jimmy Master who stated, "I cannot recall when the last union was within the faith. It may have been decades ago. We have a preponderance of girls in the community, and all of them are marrying out… We have very, very few boys in the community and they too have married out.” 

Ahead of celebrations
The purificatory nahn (ritual bathing) ceremony before the performance of the navjote or wedding is complied with in most regions. The sipping of taro (consecrated bull’s urine) though is generally substituted by pomegranate or apple juice.
Among Parsis in all regions, sev and ravo with dahi continue to be the staple sweet dishes that mark an auspicious occasion but as specified by Mistry, "Ravo is much more in vogue than sev because it is easier to prepare.” Where it is not feasible to prepare this dish on the auspicious day itself, it may be prepared and consumed a day prior, specified Avari.
A few days before the navjote, in Karachi, a navjote jashan is done at home in the presence of the immediate family and a few friends. The jashan dinner may be at home or in a community hall, mentioned Kotwal.
The traditional attire of topis (caps), ijars (pajamas), sapats (slippers) for the initiates continues to be prevalent in all regions. At wedding time, saris and daglis for the married couple continue to be specially sourced for the occasion through relatives and friends. Most families choose "to make their special day as traditional as possible,” observed Bhadha and Avari. "Well-known dagli makers in Bombay who take measurements by email and on Facetime are much in demand,” noted Mistry.
Sapats and topis can be purchased online at FEZANA’s Zoroastrian Shop (on the FEZANA website www.fezana.org). Pugrees and phetos may occasionally be borrowed from family or friends but new ones need to be ordered from Bombay. Saris can be purchased from Indian shops in all major cities in USA and Canada or bought from India.  "After the ceremony, a few couples may change into the western attire,” noted Patel. "Most non-Zoroastrian spouses also wear our traditional garments,” wrote Minocherhomjee.
In Singapore too, Ghadiali has noticed that "the non-Zoroastrian spouse has usually been very respectful and dressed in traditional Parsi wear.” In Australia, while some wear the traditional outfits, other grooms may opt for the western attire or brides may wear lehengas or salwars.

Festive feasting
The number of guests at a navjote or wedding would depend on the amount the hosts want to spend and the number of family and friends living in their proximity. The venue could be one’s home, dar-e-meher premises or hotels. Whilst the professional services of a photographer, disc jockey and a florist are generally engaged, a conscious effort is made to curb extravagance. 
In the US the guest list is usually in the range of 100 to 400. The dar-e-meher premises are the favored venue for those living in cities like New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles and Toronto that have large community halls. Whilst some enthusiastic hosts have tried setting up a shamiana on the dar-e-meher grounds and organizing paat like sittings for the lagan nu bhonu catered by Parsis, due to the additional hassles of arranging for the tables and chairs, table linen, stage decorations, centerpieces, flowers, many prefer the convenience of large hotels like the Marriott or Hyatt where American food like steak/salmon/pasta/chicken are usually on offer.
"In Chicago we often opt for an Indian banquet hall where their cooks have now learned to make basic Parsi dishes like pulao dal, sali gosht, patra ni machhi, lagan nu custard and more. A Persian restaurant could offer berry pullav, geymeh, bademjan, fessenjan, lamb/beef/chicken kababs… In Chicago and neighboring areas, I help out with flowers – hars, torans, bouquets, stage decorations, centerpieces, etc but I must say our flower arrangements cannot be compared with the extravagant and exquisite fresh flower decorations we see in India,” added Rivetna.
The cost of a navjote or wedding with food, entertainment, etc for about 300 people could run into USD 30,000 or more. For a registered marriage (known as civil marriage in the US), the paperwork and licence would cost about USD 100 and the officiant might charge USD 150 to 250.
"A few western traditions have become a part of our wedding traditions… Couples nowadays get engaged after western style proposals. Bridal showers and bachelor/bachelorette parties are also common. Speeches and toasts to the bride and groom are common as is the tradition of the bridal bouquet toss,” summed up Gandhi.
"Recently weddings and navjotes have been held at homes with a limited number of guests,” Rustomji cited the instance of her daughter choosing to have her two sons navjoted at Rustomji’s residence after which South American cuisine was served. Home navjotes have a guest list of around 80 and entail an expenditure of around USD 20,000 in contrast to hotel weddings and navjotes that see around 300 guests and can cost USD 50,000 for a ceremonial wedding. For a registered marriage, USD 81 is the cost of a licence, Rustomji gave the break-up. Professional fees for florists and musicians are in the region of USD 2,000 in Houston. "And nowadays I see four-day ceremonies laced with mehendi and sangeet nights as well,” added Rustomji.
The services of a professional florist are used only for the garlands and bouquets. "We do not go overboard with floral decorations as in India. We generally make the torans ourselves. Many hotels would recommend DJs,” stated Dolly Dastoor. Whilst photographers and videographers are hired, "now many families take their own photos and videos.” The cost of a navjote or ceremonial wedding would be upwards of CAD 5,000, is her experience.
"On an average you would have to assume USD 75 to 100 per person” for a function in a hotel, mentioned Minocherhomjee. For those opting for Zoroastrian centers, the cost of renting the hall would be in the region of USD 500 to which would be added the cost of food, flowers and other variable expenses. Since the meal cost would vary between USD 75 to 150 per head for a fancy big wedding, Rivetna noted that pehramni or the cash gift would be about USD 100 to 150 to the couple and USD 100 to the parents.
The pehramni is determined by how well one knows the host family. In most cases "the bellwether amount of the gift would be USD 150 to 250 for a family of four. The hope is that the cost of the meal will be recovered,” conveyed Patel. He recalled performing the navjote of his children in 1977 at their Staten Island home "as we were struggling financially and there was no dar-e-meher.” In the case of events at hotels, the food on offer depends on whether they permit an outside caterer. At Zarathushti centers, mostly non vegetarian Punjabli style high quality food is served.
One’s own home, a hired hall, local municipal hall or hotels could serve as a venue for celebrations in Australia. The guest count could be as low as 15 to 20 or more than 200, stated Katrak. According to him, "about a third of the wedding/navjote events are held at the AZA (Australian Zoroastrian Association) House in Sydney; the rest in restaurants or other venues. Occasionally there is Parsi food catered by a local Parsi caterer; more often, Indian or western food.” According to Pestonji, the cost of an average navjote in a hotel would work out to AUD 5,000 and more. For a wedding, in addition to the hotel the official legal requirements would cost around AUD 2,000. For a registered marriage, the cost would be around AUD 500. Professional photographers charge AUD 5,000 to 8,000, music is available for AUD 2,000 and florists charge AUD 1,000 to 4,000. For cash gifts, most guests would add 10 to 25% to the base meal cost (known from hotel websites). Some invites specify not to bring boxed gifts.
"These days young people seem to prefer specialist wedding venues which have sprung up all over the suburbs of London. These venues have ample car parking, large dining rooms and a lavish dance floor,” stated Mistry. The number of invitees is usually around 200 although it could rise to 500 for weddings. Buffets that cost around GBP 40 per head are more popular than serviced seated dinners where the cost works out to GBP 60 to 80, not counting alcoholic drinks. There are a couple of Parsi caterers. For Persian food, select Persian restaurants are popular. Often the meal is North Indian at Parsi events with a mix of western dishes. In five star hotels, the cost works out to GBP 100 to 150 per head, all inclusive. Professional florists who may charge upwards of GBP 1,000 for an evening and video photographers are invariably hired.
Cash pehramni is common in the UK and it is acceptable to print the line "no boxed gifts please” in the wedding invite. On an average the pehramni would be in the region of GBP 31 to 51 per person and is determined by the cost of the venue and the meal. Bridal showers are common in the West "where the bride is taken away locally or outside UK to a fun destination for a day or more by her female relatives and friends,” reported Avari.
Most people prefer to have the ceremony and the dinner at the same venue in Karachi. However, a few do like to have the ceremony in their homes or in the agiary with a dinner reception at a hotel. The Byram Avari family owned Beach Luxury Hotel or Avari Towers are popular venues for navjote/wedding celebrations in Karachi. The other alternative is the Karachi Parsi Institute that is favored on account of its food and location. If the function is held at one’s residence, the guest list could be restricted to 100+. The average though is 300 and a large attendance would go up to around 700.
 On an average, a navjote would cost upwards of PKR 1,000,000 and for a wedding, upwards of PKR 1,500,000. Most like to get the stage and hall decorated with flowers and lights by a professional. There is invariably a DJ in attendance as children and adults like to dance. Sometimes giveaways are presented to guests. Pareekas generally cover the cost of the food. Bridal showers are gaining in popularity. Usually the meals have a Parsi flavor although sometimes barbeque and Continental items are also included. The average cost of food per head is PKR 2,500. Photographers charge PKR 20,000, music is available for PKR 15,000 and flowers for PKR  2,00,000.
After the wedding, the priests and the Anjuman assist the couple in getting a marriage certificate. The marriage certificate signed by the couple and the witnesses is first entered in the Anjuman register and subsequently a copy is sent to the Cantonment Board or the Karachi Municipal Corporation (depending on the area where the marriage took place) for the government authorized marriage certificate. There are no civil marriages in Pakistan. Those opting for an interfaith marriage have to go abroad if they desire a civil marriage.
In Hong Kong, the Zoroastrian Building premises or clubs, hotels and other venues that serve a western or Asian meal are chosen as venues for the function. If held at the Zoroastrian Building, the community staff will prepare a traditional Parsi wedding meal or a combination of Parsi/Iranian/Asian/western cuisine. The guest list may range from 100 to 500 invitees, depending on the host family, stated Shroff.
Destination weddings with a guest list of 100 to 200 are gaining in popularity with the couple deciding whom to invite and the parents footing the bill, Master offered insights. The amount incurred on a celebration and the hiring of a florist, music provider and photographer depends on "how much you want to spend. You can do it on the cheap and you can also blow a huge hole in your bank account,” he added. For premium locations, bookings need to be done a year in advance if a particular date is required, cautioned Shroff.
More than jewelry gifting, common now are bridal showers. Some couples indicate they don’t want any gifts or specifically no boxed gifts. Gaining in popularity is a gift registry listing objects that the couple appreciates so that guests can go the designated shop and select items that fall within their budget.
The venue for a celebration in Singapore could be an individual’s home, a hotel or a destination resort. The food on offer is usually Parsi home cooked food if the event is at one’s home or Indian or continental food if on a grander scale. For a navjote the invitees usually number around 100 and the cost would work out to SGD 7,000 to 8,000. For a wedding with 200 to 250 guests, the cost would be in the region of SGD 15,000 to 18,000. The services of a professional florist, photographer, videographer, disc jockey are usually availed of when the event is celebrated at a hotel. A registered marriage with no ceremony or dinner works out to SGD 2,000, revealed Ghadiali. Gifts are typically in cash although the family may additionally gift jewelry to the initiate/couple.