Topic: Community

Every year, people across the UK dress up, carve pumpkins, and head out for a night of tricks and treats — but how much do we really know about where it all began? In Halloween, we take to the streets of Dartford to find out what locals think about the origins of this spooky celebration. Blending street interviews with a look back at the ancient roots of the festival, the film explores how centuries of tradition, superstition, and pop culture have shaped the way we celebrate today. Honest, funny, and thought-provoking, Halloween uncovers the real story behind the costumes, the candy, and the fear-filled fun.

Transcript

Halloween Transcript

Narrator: Bwahahahahaha! (Evil Laugh)

As the clocks go back and darkness descends, it's time for the ghosts and ghouls to come out to play. It's Halloween. But how would you explain what Halloween is?

Speaker 1: I mean, I guess it's like explaining it is a bit strange to somebody who's never had it. Like one day where everyone just dresses up as someone, anyone really nowadays. But someone's scary usually.

Speaker 2: It's a deeper thought of like, uh, things like ghosts and spirituality and things beyond the grave.

Speaker 3: It's time to to be free. Be expressive. Stuff your face full of candy sweet treats while you're at it as well.

Speaker 4: It is more a day event where you're marking the All Hallows Eve. It's kind of a day and an evening for spooky things. Scary stuff. Letting your weirdness out, I guess.

Speaker 5: People come to your door in funny costumes and try to scare you, but it's trick or treat so you can trick them back. You don't have to give them your sweets.

Speaker 6: Everyone's in their own different costumes. Everyone's using their own creativity for that.

Speaker 7: Be as spooky and as scary as possible. This is the time for you to come right out of your shell.

Narrator: Halloween is short for All Hallows Eve because it takes place on the 31st of October, the night before All Hallows Day. All Hallows Day or All Saints Day is when the Catholic Church remembers all the saints and martyrs who have died. But the roots of Halloween probably go back thousands of years to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. People believed that the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead was at its thinnest at this time, and that the souls of the dead roamed the earth. So the people built bonfires and lit lanterns to scare off evil spirits, left food on their doorsteps to keep the demons happy, or even dressed up in disguises to avoid being recognised by the ghosts and cursed. Some of these traditions survived. After Christianity arrived in Britain. On All Souls Day, children would dress up in costumes and go from door to door begging for money or food. In return, they would pray for the dead relatives of the family, or sing a song or recite a poem. In the USA, this developed into trick or treat, and we also have the Americans to thank for the pumpkin jack o lanterns. In Britain, we used hollowed out turnips or swedes with carved faces lit from inside by a candle. But has the connection to Christianity been lost?

Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it does, in the sense that there's always been the thing about, like, ghosts and witchcraft and all that associated with, I suppose, before Catholic times. In the pagan history of Ireland, it would seem like going against the ethos of of Catholicism.

Speaker 3: Holistically it doesn't make much of a difference. But there are some aspects of Halloween that I don't really associate myself with, especially with the horror side. For example, like, there are a lot of movies that kind of like feed into devil rituals. You know, demons and stuff like that.

Speaker 8: It depends how religion is to be fair, because like, not really in Liverpool. I come from there. So Everyone sticks together as a big community. We all just have a big mash up of Halloween. We all just get Rah! Scary together.

Speaker 9: Yes, we don't celebrate it because it's more like worshipping the devil, because a lot of things that scare you, like when you're looking at Halloween, it's always about zombies and stuff from the dead. So we feel like we're bringing the dead alive. And so it's like, no, we shouldn't do that. We call it a pagan holiday.

Speaker 10: Best costume, I think Dracula, definitely. When you can do it well, it looks nice.

Speaker 1: They were dressed up as Darth Vader, but like, that was wicked. But the way he was doing it, he had a balcony and he kept on doing that laps around it and you could hear the breathing. And I thought that was cool.

Speaker 11: It was an inflatable dinosaur. Came to my door one day. That was quite funny.

Speaker 12: I always love a classical witch costume. I think there's just so much stuff you can do with that. Being a witch. Yeah.

Speaker 3: My favourite thing. I personally don't celebrate it, but I know sometimes my siblings like dressing up. So again, just my little brother, you know, running up to me, showing me what costume he's got this year. Just allowing them to have that freedom to just experience the holiday himself, dress up with other kids, you know, go trick or treating because you only get to be a kid once.

Speaker 1: It's nice to see what everyone's like decorated their houses as, everyone's different views on it. Like people go all out like proper big decorations, like Star Wars, for example. And then some people go all scary.

Speaker 2: I would just say, uh, eating loads of chocolate. The different types of chocolate.

Speaker 4: I quite enjoy when people do their houses up or when you know, you get trick or treaters knocking on the door.

Speaker 3: Definitely the the sweets and the candy.

Speaker 9: Socially, it's probably the best days of the year because everyone comes out, everyone's walking around the streets, everyone's very happy. So it's very nice to be outside then.

Narrator: Halloween comes at a time when it's getting colder, darker, and in the past, people would have gathered round the fire for warmth and told each other ghost stories. Today it's an excuse to dress up and have a party, but it's still a way of keeping the terrors of the night at bay.

Narrator: Bwahahahahaha! (Evil Laugh)

Halloween

Video length - 05.48

Published date - Oct 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Meet Kaia, activism isn’t just something she does — it’s a part of who she is. Growing up, she saw inequality in everyday life: in the classroom, in the streets, and in the way people’s voices were silenced. But instead of turning away, she decided to speak up.

Her journey into activism started with small steps — attending local marches, sharing posts online, and joining community groups. Over time, those steps became a movement of her own. Through protests, campaigns, and honest conversations, Kaia found the power of her voice — and the strength of the people standing beside her.

In this film, we hear Kaia’s story in her own words. She talks about the moment she realised silence wasn’t an option, the challenges she’s faced as a young Black woman, and the hope that keeps her going.

Transcript

An Activist Tale Transcript

Kaia: My name is Kaia. I'm a racial justice activist, and I'm passionate around inviting people to be a part of the discussion to change the world. I would say that activism found me at a time of which I couldn't put into words what I was doing. I just started to question the education system and wanted to find out why the gaps were there, especially around minoritised communities.

And from seeing those gaps, I naturally started to learn about myself and my history and my lineage, and wanted to invite others to be a part of that journey. So I started to create infographics, which basically is informative posts which are short bite size information to share in a digital realm. Due to the death of George Floyd during 2020, it really platformed the work that I was doing. And naturally from that point on, I really was passionate around sharing not just the trauma and the realities of people's lived experiences, but also the joy of which we can embody, which is a fundamental part of activism. I found it important to share what I was learning, because it's something of which the education system won't tell you.

Organising a Black Lives Matter protest in Brighton comes with conflict. Because yes, it is you being framed as somebody who is organising and doing great things and a champion for the community, and they're here to bring change, which is especialy what I'm trying to do. But with that came with the realities and the epiphany of sitting with what I would be dealing with in terms of the legal system, what it meant in terms of my relationship with the police and how they would see me and perceive me, but also the necessity of showing up and doing it regardless. Because who will bring change otherwise.

A year and a half later, marching through the streets in Brighton, it's a trend that's no longer socially convenient because it feels too uncomfortable. And that's what we can call performative allyship. Performative activism is an activism that anyone can fall into. It often is an emotionally driven response, so it is often short term. It is often affected by what you see in that moment. And rather than it being a sustained action, it actually is a that's so shocking. Let me do something now. But when we think about maybe a week later, you've forgotten about it. When we think of grassroots activism, it is often the most strongest forms of driving social change, as long as you make it a sustainable effort and an ongoing, consistent journey. And it may not be in my lifetime. It may not be the lifetime of which generations are to come. It may be in distant futures, but I know that I've done my part in driving that social change, just like my ancestors have done.

What empowers me to keep going is, I think, sitting with the weight of it all. It is a challenging thing to sit with. There's so much more I still need to learn. A big humbling thing around allyship is that it's a continuous learning journey and also understanding. It's about the joy and the more of which I do it, the closer we are to revolution. The closer that we are to social change, the closer we are to a world of which we all can coexist in. Black girl we may never meet. But I hope you know that you have a family. By blood and through melanin. A collection of black souls present and gone. Knighting you in gold, but proud nonetheless. No matter what society reflects, look in the mirror and digest? Does the vision of yourself reject the power of colonialists and supremacists? Because black girl, you are a queen and made so stunningly black girl past, black girl present and black girl forever? You are a sacred shadow, one that persists through light and flows through darkness.

An Activist’s Tale

Video length - 05.00

Published date - Oct 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

In this film, we explore Sikh perspectives on climate change through the lens of religious teachings and ethics. Sikhism teaches that the Earth is sacred, a divine creation of Waheguru, and must be treated with reverence and care. The principle of ‘Sarbat da Bhala’—working for the well-being of all—extends to protecting the environment and all forms of life. The Sikh faith emphasises humility, selfless service (seva), and living in harmony with nature as core spiritual values.

Sikh commitment to sustainability is deeply rooted in practices like communal kitchens (langar), which promote plant-based diets and reduce waste, and the use of renewable energy in gurdwaras around the world. Through these teachings and practices, the Sikh tradition calls for urgent and compassionate action to address climate change, highlighting both personal responsibility and collective effort to safeguard the Earth for future generations.

By linking spiritual values with environmental activism, Climate Change: Sikhism shows how faith can inspire a more just, green, and sustainable future for all.

Transcript

Climate Change: Sikhism

Prubhjyot: My name is Prubhjyot Singh and I am a co-founder of Eco-Sikh UK. Eco-Sikh UK are here to inspire the youth of the Sikhs here in the UK to come out and look after their environment and realise that we need to change ourselves, change our lifestyles to make a change for the environment and look after our well-being and our future generations well-being. Sikhs come from an area in India called Punjab, which is in the north west bordering Pakistan. A lot of Sikhs back in the days were farmers who would grow their own food and feed their families and live sustainably. Land of Punjab is very rich in agricultural land in terms of farming. Making our own food, growing our own food and feeding our families. Traditionally, we would pass down the knowledge of good farming and living sustainably and being stewards, good stewards of the land, down generation by generation. A lot of these values have now been lost when our families have moved into the Western world. As Sikhs, we believe in Guru Granth Sahib ji and Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Whereas most people will see it as a book where it has all of our messages written within it, we as Sikhs don't describe it as a book. Guru Granth Sahib Ji for us is a living guru which has all the knowledge contained within it. The Guru Granth Sahib Ji actually begins not with a word but with a number, and the number is one, and the number one symbolises oneness of everything. As Sikhs, we believe there is there is one God. But however, that one actually has a deeper meaning to it, which we believe it to be is there is nothing but God. So if you see that as everything is created by that oneness, we are part of that oneness. As human beings, as the animals that are out there, the environment, the trees, the water, this planet, the whole universe is part of that oneness. There's a line in Guru Granth Sahib Ji which says Pavan guru pani pita Mata tata mehat, which basically translates to that pavan. The air is our guru, the water is our father and the planet Earth. The mother is our Mata. So we need to look after the three elements.

We need to look after the Mother Earth for it to provide us with a living environment, a fresh air environment where we can go and have fresh water. We need to be able to live in balance, in sustainable balance within the creation and the environment around us. When it comes to looking after the environment, it's important for us to have a sustainable view. We need to be able to live within our means. We need to be able to look after the environment that we live in. So rather than destroying the trees or cutting them down or building on agricultural land, we need to have a balance where we're provided with the elements that we require. We require fresh air, we require water, we need all these elements to survive. And one of the biggest facts we need to remember is that Mother Earth will thrive without human beings. Whereas human beings cannot live without the natural environment and the fresh air and the oxygen that the environment provides us.

So two really important concepts in Sikhism is a seva. And sever is all about selfless giving. You might have seen Sikhs go out there and feed the poor. You might have seen Sikhs donate a lot of money to a good cause. However, we're not very good at when it comes to the environmental things. And now I think that's where sarbat da bhala is very important. So sarbat da bhala basically means. Good for all. While feeding the poor is feeding the poor. And obviously you're providing food and you're providing money for good causes. But when it comes to the environment, by planting a tree that will give oxygen to anyone that walks past that tree, and it brings that sarbat da bhala concept into a whole new vision. As eco Sikhs have been planting trees alongside Canal and River trust, we've been part of the longest orchard in the world. We've helped clean up canals, we've helped pick up litter. We've helped communities live in a better environment. Eco-Sikh is not just an organisation in UK, it's a worldwide organisation and one of our biggest teams is currently in India working on a project called Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sacred Forest. This was to celebrate Guru Nanak's 550th birthday. The concept of this project is to bring back biodiversity back into the areas where we had lost it over the last 40 to 50 years. For every tree we plant, it acts like a home or a habitat for insects, birds and animals. It's great to bring that wildlife back to the local community there. It also helps in carbon capture and bring down the pollution within those areas. So in 2019, it was Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 550th birth anniversary. This is a really important celebration for the Sikh's all around the world. While planting the 550 trees involved, we were approached by the Holy Trinity Church vicar and he wanted to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 550th alongside the Sikh community. This was a great idea. The whole community got together, and we decided that the 550th tree would be planted in the courtyard of the Holy Trinity Church.

At this event, we had various different faiths, including the Sikhs, the Hindus, Muslims, Christians, the Jews and all the local community. This event really encompassed the message that Sikhi really brings out and Guru Nanak's message of oneness, that everything is one. The whole universe is created in that one's form. There is nothing but God. God is in all. And this event really showed that if the communities can get together and work together, we can really make a positive change in saving our environment. While a lot of the skills that we required in Punjab are not required here in the Western world, here at Ecosikh, we want to make sure that we're still keeping the values of being good stewards and sustainability, and we're passing them down to our younger generations. We can do that by reducing our plastic usage within our houses, eating local food rather than getting food from across the world, eating seasonal food, maybe reducing our water usage, maybe walking to the local supermarket. There is so much you can do at home. Start at home and then take it to the local communities. Take it to your local groups. Take it to the local gurdwaras. It's important for us all to push together and make a positive impact for the environment. Eco-Sikh hold regular talks with gurdwaras our place of worship, where we talk about how to make Gurdwaras environmentally friendly. There's many ways of doing this. This could be from looking at solar panels, using electric usage, reducing our water usage, or how we recycle our food waste from our langar, which is our community kitchen. There's so many ways of getting the community involved in helping out with all of this, but the most important part is it's not just the Sikhs, it's all the communities together. Whether you're a muslim, whether you're a Hindu, whether you're Sikh, Christian, it doesn't matter who you are. It's going to take not just one community. It will take all the communities to work together. It will take all the religions to work together. It will take the whole planet to work together. It's about everyone saving the environment for the future generations.

Climate Change: Sikhism

Video length - 07.47

Published date - Sep 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

Eryl the Pioneer Priest talks about Celtic Spirituality to the Pilgrims. Tom, Christine and Eshaan respond especially well to being in a “thin place”.

See the whole episode on on iPlayer here.

Transcript

Pilgrimage Moments: A Thin Place

Narrator: The church belongs to the Anglican Church in Wales. It's run by Eryl Parry, who has an interest in Celtic Christianity, and she is what's known as a pioneer priest.

Eryl: So as a pioneer priest, what we do is we create worshiping communities, faith communities for people who wouldn't necessarily find themselves sitting on a pew that might be on a mountainside. For me, there's a deeply authentic expression here, which is Celtic spirituality, and there are so many people who seek to make some kind of sense of their lives out in landscape.

Eshaan: And what is Celtic spirituality? It's not something I've heard before.

Eryl: So it's the Christian faith dating right back to the Saints in the sixth century. So here, Saint Callanan. So if you're here at the top of the hill, the lens of Celtic spirituality would be saying God is in the landscape. We're not worshiping nature. We're worshiping the creator.

Tom: Yeah, we've seen a lot of that today. The sun coming through the clouds. God is speaking to us and God speaking to us through each other, I think. So, yeah.

Narrator: Eryl has her own way of leading community worship up here in the hills.

Eryl: So where are we going? Is just a lovely little viewing spot. What we call a ponder spot.

Amanda: Yeah. Let's ponder.

Eshaan: A nice bit of pondering.

Sonali: This is crazy.

Eshaan: Amazing.

Sonali: Absolutely stunning.

Eryl: So as we look across the mountains, I would ask you just to let your eyes settle on something that's speaking to you. It might be the meandering river. It might be the mountains. I'm just going to give you a little bit of time on your own to imagine what it is to be in a thin place. A thin place, we would say, is somewhere where you have a sense of the barrier between earth and heaven being thinner. You get a sense of the awesome nature of God or the awesome nature of the universe. So guys, just take a few minutes to ponder. Do you mind if I share your ponder spot?

Tom: Hi. I've been looking at the Mountains where it literally just disappears into nothingness. Yeah, and it struck me. That's the thin place. That's essentially as close as you get to heaven on earth. It made me have a feeling of prayer, that hoping when I actually see heaven after I die, I recognise it for what it is. And it seems like this is a glimpse of what it might be like. It's, uh. No. It's awesome.

Eryl: And that insight and this moment is a gift.

Tom: Mm. I do get pilgrimage now. There's not many places in the world where you're supposed to sort of stop and look and consider yourself. And the thin barrier between heaven and earth. Oh, thank you for taking us here. I appreciate it.

Eryl: Thank you.

Christine: I just wanted to come back and look at the church again and really appreciate it, because I don't enjoy the feeling of death. As a mum it absolutely petrifies me. It's my biggest fear is leaving my children one day. My children are considered different because they're all autistic and so am I. And I have often had comments like, I bet you wish there was a cure or something to fix your children. And and I really don't. I think every single child is a miracle. But it just makes me want to be around forever because they're so magical.

Eryl: I think we're called to people and place. And you've been called as a mum.

Christine: It is my purpose in life, and I know I wouldn't be here if I didn't have my children.

Eryl: It's a high calling.

Christine: I just don't know what I'd do without the kids. I don't know what I'd do without my babies. I also don't know what they'd do without me. It scares me. Really scares me.

Eryl: Would a hug help or hinder?

Christine: Yeah. Thank you.

Eshaan: Um, I could associate this breeze with praying at my mum's grave when I go there. And. The breeze has made me think of her really. And. I just kind of found myself saying some of the prayers I'd say when I go to her grave. I think the tears are just kind of the love that I wish, I wish I could still give her. I think that's part of the reason why I don't take time to ponder, because I don't want to go into what's in my heart, really. The moment I think I'm going close to that bit of me. I think I don't want to. So, uh, it's nice to be able to just to ponder. That's the whole point, right? I guess it works. I guess it works.

Pilgrimage Moments: A Thin Place

Video length - 06.42

Published date - Jun 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

The Pilgrims talk about the Buddhist view of life after death with Lama Shenpen at a Buddhist hermitage. Christine, Sonali and Eshaan reflect on her words.

See the whole episode on on iPlayer here.

Transcript

Pilgrimage Moments: Buddhist Teachings

Narrator: Once back at the Hermitage, the pilgrims meet Lama Shenpen, its founder and spiritual leader at the stupa.

Lama Shenpen: So you could say that the stupa represents the center of the universe and the center of the universe could be anywhere or everywhere. So this is, if you like, a representation of it that actually contains the essence of it. So when we walk towards the stupa, we're walking to the center of the universe, which lies beyond all our thinking and opinions. It's considered to be radiating love and compassion, so it's considered to be very powerful. And the center of it is called a tree of life. Because really, in a way, Buddhism is about finding, well, what is the significance? What is life? What is birth? What is death? You could say, well, our life is a pilgrimage. We start with birth. You have this vision of a journey and the significance of your life. And then life ends. Your body dies. Yeah?

Spencer: Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just have. I have a question. Yeah. I've always just felt that energy and people's energy. Because I believe you can feel the people's energy. Like it's a physical thing that you can feel. Why would the energy die with the body? So I've always assumed that, you know, when I take my last breath in this body that something will happen to my energy.

Lama Shenpen: Yeah. Other cultures would find it. Mad to think that actually, that's all that happened. It lasted one lifetime and then it disappeared. What are you talking about? You die, and then you just manifest again in another body, in another place, in another time.

Michaela Do you believe that you go from one body into another body, or is it just an energy that comes out and and circulates?

Lama Shenpen: I think one way you can think of it is it's more like the world we create collapses, and then we've got to start again with a another situation, which is our new life.

Eshaan: I sometimes feel like some of these ideas exist to give solace to the people that are left behind in a sense, like. But actually, we don't really know. Like, I don't know where my mum has gone. I have no idea. When I pray to her, I have no idea if she is in an afterlife. I'm just praying into the ether and hoping that she receives some of my energy or whatever it might be.

Lama Shenpen: It's beautiful, isn't it? There's an intuitive sense that there's a meaning to that. A lot of people do seem to find those ideas helpful.

Narrator: Lama Shenpen invites the pilgrims to take part in a ritual at the stupa.

Lama Shenpen: As we live our life, we actually are creating a story. That's our life. And then we're holding on to things that we think are us.

Narrator: The ritual helps nurture the path to spiritual awakening and enlightenment.

Lama Shenpen: In some ways. When we walk around the stupa, go on our pilgrimage around the stupa, we come back to where we started, but maybe with a different perspective.

Christine: As a mum. Of course. I don't ever want to leave this earth. I want to be around forever. To be with my children. Everything Lama explained made perfect sense. It was very much that. You know, your energy lives on. Okay your body might leave, but your soul and your energy is there. And that's amazing. That, for me is something that I want to believe in. That means we get to live on forever, doesn't it? I'm not scared of death anymore. I'm not scared of death.

Sonali: Lama Shenpen said that life is a pilgrimage and that no one has ever said to me. I've learnt that today and it's so right. I always say I'm of Jain origin. I'm not practicing. That term practicing kind of always, it's difficult for me because then I feel like I've got to prove I'm doing something concrete. And maybe today has just confirmed. Maybe I should just say I am Jain. And then whatever I do, my intention of living a good life with as much non-violence as possible is probably all right.

Eshaan: My mum felt like the centre of my universe, so I felt a real connection to this physical manifestation of centring of the universe. Every time I went round, I could feel my brain and my heart going. This is a new thing. So this was the first time where I got a sense that my stupa is missing, which is why I feel this way. I feel like I'm floating through the universe without anything to anchor me.

Lama Shenpen: Thank you.

All Pilgrims: Thank you so much.

Michaela: That was beautiful.

Pilgrimage Moments: Buddhist Teachings

Video length - 05.45

Published date - Jun 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Nelufar and Steph chat with a refugee from Afghanistan, which has a special resonance for Nelufar because she was also a refugee from Afghanistan.

See the whole episode on on iPlayer here.

Transcript

Narrator: Nelufar and Stef have gone to the town of Bludesch. On the outskirts is a refugee centre run by Caritas, an international Catholic charity. Nelufar came into the UK as a refugee from Afghanistan at the age of seven.

Nelufar: It's one of the invisible things that make me who I am. But I am nervous.

Stef: I feel like this is quite a personal story for you.

Nelufar: Yeah.

Narrator: They're meeting Faisal Karim. He's lived at the centre for a year with other international refugees from a range of backgrounds and situations.

Faisal: Hey.

Nelufar: Hi. Good to meet you. I'm Nelufar. Salaam alaikum.

Stef: Stephanie.

Narrator: Faisal Kareem was brought from Afghanistan by people traffickers and spent a difficult year moving through various countries before finally arriving in Austria.

Nelufar: With his own eyes.

Nelufar: How important was your faith in your journey?

Nelufar: He says when you're a muslim, you're a muslim. His deen, his belief was always the same.

Nelufar: Wow. Here. He's free to pray or not pray. But in Afghanistan, he had to pray. So then. Which is faith, which is real? You know,

Stef: May I ask, what is your hope for the future? What is your dream now?

Nelufar: Just normal things really ordinary things that we all have.

Narrator: For now Faisal Karim has a job locally, studies German and spends time with the other refugees.

Stef: Thank you so, so much.

Nelufar: Bye!

Pilgrimage Moments: A Refugee Story

Video length - 04.18

Published date - Jun 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Come and join us for Eid ul-Adha – the Festival of Sacrifice, celebrated by Muslims all around the world! Eid ul-Adha commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion and willingness to sacrifice everything to Allah, symbolising faith, obedience, and generosity.

Our film outlines the traditions of Eid ul-Adha: morning Eid prayers at the mosque, the ritual sacrifice of an animal, and the sharing of meat with family, friends, and those in need. The celebrations of Eid ul-Adha help instil the values of compassion, gratitude, and community. With beautiful illustrations and live-action footage combined, we hope to inspire you with the joy of Eid ul-Adha!

Transcript

Eid – Ul-Adha Transcript

Nadia: Every year, Muslims like me celebrate the festival of Eid-ul Adha, which means the Festival of Sacrifice. My name is Nadia and Eid-ul Adha brings a special kind of energy into my home. It's a time for reflection, community, family and food. Eid-ul Adha begins on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, which is the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. Back home in Bangladesh, my family get four days off for a proper celebration. But here in the UK, we squeeze the joy into one packed day. Around this time, Muslims from all over the world are on Hajj, which is the pilgrimage to the city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. I haven't been yet, but it's something I dream of doing one day, insh'Allah. Eid ul-Adha takes place during the Hajj, and even though we're not there in Mecca, we still feel deeply connected to it. So we all celebrate together wherever we are. Eid ul-Adha is also when we remember the story of Prophet Ibrahim, Hajar and Ismail. Hajar held her baby close and rocked him gently. They were lost and alone in the scorching desert. Shh Ismail. Don't worry. I'll find us some water. She laid Ismail down on the sand and ran up a nearby hill to search the horizon. But there was no one to be seen. No glint of water, no vegetation, nothing. Hajar ran back down into the valley and up the other side to look in the opposite direction. Still nothing. Getting increasingly desperate. Hajar ran seven times between the two hills, looking for someone, anyone to help. Ismail began to cry and Hajar slumped down beside him. Please help us, Allah. Please show us mercy. Help! And Allah heard her prayer. Suddenly, crystal clear water gushed out of the ground and pulled around them. Hajar cupped her hands and gulped it down. Delicious. She dripped some water into Ismail's mouth, then heaped sand in a circle around the spring to create a shallow well. Laughing and shouting, Zam, Zam! Stop, stop! Later that day, some nomads were crossing the desert. One of them pointed at the sky. Look, birds circling ahead. They gazed up in amazement. There must be water nearby. But they knew of no oasis in this area. The nomads rode up the valley until they found a woman and a baby beside a well, where they'd never been one before. Hajar's husband was the Prophet Ibrahim. After some time, he found his wife and child living at the center of a small community that had quickly grown up around the Zam Zam well. It was the beginning of the city of Makkah. As soon as Ismail was old enough. Ibrahim took him out to help look after their sheep. Ismail was the most precious thing in Ibrahim's life, and he wanted to spend as much time with his son as possible. One night, Ibrahim had a dream. He saw himself sacrificing Ismail and knew it was a message from Allah. Ibrahim was distraught. Human sacrifice was common among the idol worshippers, but Allah had never demanded a life before. Even so, Ibrahim knew he couldn't disobey Allah and went to speak to Ismail. My dear son, I saw a dream that I must sacrifice you. Then you must do as Allah commands, said Ismail. So with heavy hearts, Ibrahim and Ismail walked out into the desert towards a place called Mina, where the sacrifice was to happen. Shaitan shimmered out of the heat haze in front of them. Don't do it, Ibrahim. Surely your son is more important to you than Allah. Ibrahim and Ismail were tempted to turn back, but they threw stones at the devil until he vanished. When they were halfway to Mina, Shaitan appeared again. Don't do it, Ibrahim. Think of Hajar. How must she be feeling? Surely your wife is more important to you than Allah. As before, they threw stones and Shaitan disappeared, only to reappear when they were nearly at Mina. Don't do it, Ismail. If your father really loved you, he would disobey Allah. But once more, Ibrahim and Ismail hurled stones at the apparition until he had gone. At last they arrived at the place of sacrifice. Ismail lay down, and Ibrahim raised his knife, ready to strike. Stop! Ibrahim, said the voice of Allah. You have passed the test. Ibrahim lowered the knife. Ismail got to his feet and they embraced, crying with relief and joy. When they parted, they saw a ram standing exactly where Ismail had been lying. They sacrificed the ram to Allah, cooked it, and then shared the meal with their family, their friends and the poor people of Makkah. Ibrahim had learned that he should always trust and obey Allah and to show his devotion, he built a cube shaped house of worship near to Hajar as well, where he could pray. It became known as the Ka'ba, which means cube, and for all Muslims it is the holiest place on earth. Because the Islamic calendar is shorter than the January to December one that most people use the date of Eid-ul Adha changes. Every year it's about ten days earlier, so we have to plan ahead. We usually buy new clothes to wear and getting ready on Eid morning is a whole ritual in itself. I always pick out a special outfit. Sometimes I go traditional and other times a bit more glam. I tend to stay at home and get a big meal ready for my family. But it's traditional to start the day by going to Eid prayers at the mosque or masjid, which is what we call our place of worship. So that's where my husband and brothers have gone. Everyone is encouraged to be there, and it's beautiful to see the whole community coming together, dressed in their best, greeting each other like one big family.

Interviewee 1: First step, of course of Eid is always getting the prayer done in the morning. That's what makes Eid, Eid.

Interviewee 2 : It starts with the morning prayer. Just always remembering God at the beginning of the day. Allah in our religion, in our faith.

Nadia: The story of Prophet Ibrahim, Hajar and Ismail is remembered in all sorts of ways. While people are on Hajj, they will run seven times between two hills and drink from the Zam Zam well, just like Hajar did. They will visit the Ka'ba that was originally built by Ibrahim, and they throw stones at three pillars, just like Ibrahim and Ismail threw at Shaitan to make him go away. And all Muslims, wherever they are, will make a sacrifice. In Muslim countries, families often keep an animal to sacrifice on the day. But in the UK, most of us give money instead so that a sacrifice can be made on our behalf. However it's done, the meat will be cooked and shared with the family and traditionally with the poor. These days we often donate to charities who do this work on a wider scale. For me, it's all about making a big meal, gathering everyone and making sure no one leaves hungry.

Interviewee 3 : We get a celebration to enjoy each other, enjoy food, good food. That's where the sacrifice comes from. People who are out in Makkah who are doing Hajj, they will also be having a very special day, which is why we celebrate here on the same day.

Interviewee 2: This Eid ul-Adha about the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Abraham, and the sacrifice he made for the sake of God and a special day for us, because we appreciate the sacrifices that we also have to make for God as well, and take that into account. And also, it's a nice blessed day to spend time with our family and friends and eat good food.

Interviewee 1 So me personally, myself, I'm not going to sacrifice a sheep. However, I have put money aside towards being used to sacrifice a sheep, and once that sheep has been sacrificed, it's going to be donated into poor areas where they don't have facilities to eat.

Interviewee 2 : Sometimes it's a bit difficult in this country, but what we do is our family back in Pakistan who are able to give to the more poor people there, they do it on our behalf and they distribute that to all the poor people in the area. And everyone that needs some food, which is another edition of Eid ul-Adha, which is feeding those who are less fortunate around us.

Interviewee 4: At home, actually. My family is going to be back home. So they're going to sacrifice a bull or cow for me because we've got a lot of family members. So sheep is not going to be enough. So my thinking will do for a cow or bull or something.

Nadia: We say Eid Mubarak to each other, which means blessed festival or happy festival. And the kids look forward to their Eidi's. That's money or presents. I still remember when I was a child, my favourite part was counting up all the notes from my uncles and aunties.

Interviewees: Eid Mubrak!

Interviewee 5: My kids usually get to money and stuff. Unfortunately, I fell out of that category just a couple of years ago, so I don't get any money anymore. But the money and presents for the kids.

Interviewee 3: Eid is celebrated a number of different ways. Some people go like to enjoy it as a community. There's often fares, fun fares. People get together in a large community, and then there's also the family Eid, which is what we tend to do. We go around to multiple houses, eat multiple different foods. We eat way too much, which is why the loose fitting clothing actually really helps.

Interviewee 1 : My favourite part to eat, first of all, is the the final part where you get to spend time with family. Enjoy the meal at the end of the day.

Interviewee 6: My favourite thing about Eid is chilling with my family and my friends. It's all about like having fun and everything. It's about celebrating what Prophet Abraham did for us and everything, just thinking about our religion and everything. That's why I think the best part about Eid.

Interviewee 2 : I agree as well about the family aspect, spending time with family and friends, but also for me, it's got to be the food. That's definitely, uh. So we have certain Eid foods that we only get on Eid.

Interviewee 7: What I like best about Eid is, I think it's a time where we remember the sacrifice of others. You remember the poor people. And also we get together as family. Everyone usually takes the day off. So it's a nice time to catch up with everyone and enjoy ourselves. And definitely the best thing is the food.

Nadia: But more than anything, Eid is a reminder. Prophet Ibrahim was ready to give up what he loved most. To obey Allah and Eid Ul-Adha reminds us that sometimes we have to make sacrifices too, for our faith, for our loved ones, and for those in need. I teach my daughter that even giving a little time, food, or kindness can mean the world to someone else.

Interviewees: Eid Muburak!

Eid ul-Adha

Video length - 12.03

Published date - Jun 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Nelufar talks with the Pilgrims about her discomfort that so many terrible things have been done in the name of religion.

See the whole episode on on iPlayer here.

Transcript

Pilgrimage Moments: In the Name of Faith

Nelufar: I often feel in conflict with my faith, so I. I don't know how to fit in and it kills me like it really bothers me inside. So I just, I think, I don't mean to be cynical and I am loving this dinner. I really, really am.

Helen: What's your thing? That's the thing.

Nelufar: On this table sits the Abrahamic faiths. Those of us who believe in them and those of us who don't. We have fought wars. We have killed. We have maimed. We have done terrible things to one another in the name of faith. And so I feel that I carry that for what's done in my name and in the the name of my faith. I feel like I carry that. I feel responsible for it.

Daliso: I have a question. Do you feel these terrible things done in the name of faith? Were the intention of the faith or perversion of the faith?

Nelufar: I don't think it matters.

Daliso: Do you think Christ is a fan of people killing in his name? Do you think Muhammad is a fan of people killing his name? My point is, I think it's humans get this beautiful thing, which is faith, which is messages of love. But we're still humans, and there's still politics, and they're still wanting to conquer each other.

Nelufar: Jeff has no faith. He has messages of tolerance. Faith doesn't determine that. Right? And sometimes.

Daliso: That's not what I said either.

Nelufar: I know but.

Daliso: I would say.

Nelufar: I'm getting really anxious now.

Daliso: Do you think? Which is fine. We go to all the emotions.

Jeff: We're all in this together. Don't worry.

Daliso: We can go to. We can go to Joy. We can go to discomfort.

Nelufar: My point is how can any of us not feel as though terrible things have been done in our name? Look that's the point is, it's not the vibe for dinner.

Stef: Actually, it does hurt when I hear you say, talk about Christian faith and the awful things that have been done because awful things have been done. But I don't think that that is because of Jesus. Because if you look at that message, his message was love. And we have perverted that. And part of the Christian faith is actually that people are broken. Every single one of us is broken. And I just think so many of these messages have been twisted by us. And actually, it's about getting back to what did these texts say?

Pilgrimage Moments: In the Name of Faith

Video length - 02.41

Published date - May 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

We hit the streets of London to uncover a diverse range of opinions on relationships. Whether it’s the bond between friends, the love shared between romantic partners, or the connection within families, we delve deep into what makes these relationships work well and what can cause them to turn toxic.

Beyond exploring the dynamics of healthy and unhealthy relationships, we also take a closer look at the concept of respect. What does respect truly mean to people? How do they express it, and in what ways do they expect to receive it in return? Through honest conversation, we gain insight into the values, challenges, and expectations that shape the way people navigate their relationships every day.

This film is a perfect resource as a catalyst for classroom discussions in PSHE or RSE lessons.

Respect and Relationships

Video length - 04.30

Published date - Feb 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Where do we come from? Humanists UK’s new schools video with Alice Roberts tells the scientific story of our origins, from the Big Bang, through the evolution of stars, planets, life, and, ultimately, us, revealing what we are made from and how we are connected to the rest of the living world. This short but beautiful animation highlights the wonder in this story that humanists (and others) might draw on as a source of inspiration, meaning, and value in their lives.

https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/

Transcript

Billions of years ago, the whole universe was packed tightly together, smaller than a grain of sand. Then suddenly, bang! It got bigger. Much bigger and very, very fast. In this early universe, there were atoms, the tiny building blocks that would build almost everything else. Gravity pulled the atoms together. Millions, billions, trillions of them. And made the stars and the atoms inside the stars smash together, releasing heat and light in the hearts of the stars. New atoms formed bigger but still ever so small. New building blocks that in time would go on to build new things. Things like you. You are made from stardust. But stars don't last forever.

They grow bigger and bigger then collapse and explode. Throwing atoms out across the universe. Until gravity pulls them together again to make new stars. Stars like our sun and planets. One of which is very special to us. Earth. Our home. At first the Earth was lifeless and boiling hot, but in the depths of the oceans, something sparked a few chemicals built from those atoms that had been formed in the stars began to make copies of themselves. The beginning of life. Life was very simple for a long time, just single, tiny cells. But over time, life changed slowly at first. Each generation a little different from the last.

Like children, are a little different from their parents. And over millions of years, many, many small changes can lead to big changes. Life exploded into millions of brilliant and beautiful new forms, branching in many different directions, adapting to environments, evolving over time. We are related to every other living thing on the planet. Plants and fungi. Worms and insects. Fish. Amphibians. Reptiles. Mammals. Primates. Apes. Humans. You. Thinking. Feeling. Choosing. Caring. Dreaming. Wondering. You. Such simple ingredients. Such wondrous results. You're lucky to be here. If any one event in this chain had happened differently, then you might not have made it.

We are all a part of this story. We all belong to it. How incredible that we're able to look back and tell this story, to answer our questions about where we come from. To see the evidence all around us. The story is not yet complete. We don't know everything. But if we keep looking, we'll learn more. Maybe you can help.

Where do we come from?

Video length - 03.24

Published date - Feb 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

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