Nauryz
{mosimage}National Great Holiday Nauryz of Kazakh people, who have ancient traditional culture and custom of Asia and nomads, is launching in Mongolia. The holiday, marks traditionally on 22, March every year, is very special holiday. Since 1990, Kazakh people have been celebrating widely Nauryz. Also, their great movement began in this year. Over 65 thousand citizens have moved to Kazakhstan since 1990.
National Great Holiday Nauryz of Kazakh people, who have ancient traditional culture and custom of Asia and nomads, is launching in Mongolia. The holiday, marks traditionally on 22, March every year, is very special holiday.
Since 1990, Kazakh people have been celebrating widely Nauryz. Also, their great movement began in this year. Over 65 thousand citizens have moved to Kazakhstan since 1990.
Kazakhs, who live in Mongolia, mark widely Nauryz. The present day name of Nauriz derives from the Persian Novruz translated as a new day. Nauriz holiday will take broadly place in Mongolia at the first time. Because, a concert of Kazakh people’s traditional songs and music for Nauriz will be organized on 21, March of 2008 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Performance’s main peculiar is three countries famous singers as Mongolia, China, and Kazakh will sing songs for holiday.
Five singers from Zhejiang and Xinjiang Uighur provisions, the People’s Republic of Korea came in Ulaanbaatar to participate in the performance.
The Embassy of Kazakhstan promotes highly it. Besides of Kazakh, Muslim countries as Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkmen, Tajik, and Kyrgyz mark Nauriz. During the holiday, people don’t use any alcohol and people don’t greet with money each other and don’t give any present.
Nauriz has many unique features. In the past Nauriz used to last from three to nine days. Various kinds of competitions were included in the festival program, such as horse races and hand-to-hand combats between stalwart fellows. The “Aytis” (a contest of two or more improvising folk poet-musicians) is a joyful competition of wit and poetic skill. And of course there were many songs, dances and games. One of the bright traditions that we meet in Abai’s manuscript is the “Nauriz-bata” or Nauriz blessing. To receive a blessing on this day from the lips of aqsaqals (elderly) and aje (women of old age) is considered a big honour and sign of kindness.
During the Nauriz holiday it is customary to share generously one’s dastarkhan (table). A special dish – Nauriz közhe (yogurt soup) – is prepared for the festival table. In each yurt (nomadic tent house) everyone would have their own recipe. The only rule for making it was the number of ingredients: seven. The guests are served the best meat dishes qazy, qarta, shujiq (lamb and horse meat delicacies), etc.
Since Nauriz’s central theme is renewal and joy hence is the tradition on the eve of Nauriz to thoroughly clean you house, return all your debts, forgive all offences and resentments and to make peace with all with whom you were at odds. It is believed that Nauriz night brings luck and realisation of wishes. Therefore one has to greet it with clear soul and mind and to fill all the vessels at home with milk, grain or spring water so that prosperity never leaves one’s household. But Nauriz is not only about festivities and dastarkhan. During the month you have to help the land to clear its life-giving arteries – to clean natural and artificial water channels and chutes, water wells and springs sprinkling them with hallowed milk thus wishing fertility to Mother – land; cultivation, planting and other agricultural work are to be started.
In the last years Nauriz was reborn. Nauriz celebrations start on 21 March and last for one month. Many sports and cultural events are held during this month throughout the country. It became a loved holiday of each citizen of Kazakhstan, symbol of unity and peace.
/Olloo.mn/
