Nauryz festival
Title
Nauryz festival
Alternative Title
Наурыз - Уламжлалт баяр наадам, зан үйл, ёс, тоглоом наадгай, уриа дуудлага
Publication Type
Language
mon
eng
Location
Mongolia
Keywords
Kazakh
Festive event
Games
Rituals
New year
Nauryz
Relevance to ICH Safeguarding
ICH Genre
Description
Nauryz celebration is a traditional folk festival of the people that originated and transmitted before the spread of Islam and other religions on the basis of worshipping nature, the sun, and spring. Today in Mongolia, Kazakh ethnic people live and make up about 4% of the total population. Most Kazakh communities live in Bayan-Ulgii province, and some of them live in other areas, such as Khovd province, the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, and Nalaikh district. Darkhan and Erdenet cities continue to celebrate Nauryz. Nauryz is a holiday of sacred deeds that symbolizes the natural relationship between man and nature, love of nature and all living things, respect for human beings, the spread of goodness, and the expulsion of badness. For the Kazakhs in Mongolia, Nauryz means "Birthday" of spring or "Glorious Day.". It is because Nauryz vividly expresses and maintains the identity of Kazakh ethnicity and culture and encourages unity, solidarity, peace, tolerance, friendship, and promotes human creativity and cultural diversity. They celebrate the entire month of March starting on the 22nd of March as the month of Nauryz. The preparation for Nauryz starts several days before the actual spring equinox. They clean and purify the house and surroundings, symbolizing that everyone has to welcome the holiday in a new and fresh form and state and prepare new clothes, special holiday drinks, and food. As a symbol of happiness and abundance in the coming year, light 2 candles in the Ger (Yurt), fill all the utensils with yogurt, milk, or spring water, and cook Nauryz soup “Koje” with 7 special ingredients representing the seven symbols of life: water, dried meat, muttonheads, salt, grains, yogurt, and flour. During the celebration, everybody participates freely in various Nauryz games, national sports competitions, folk music, song and dance performances, etc. In the preparation and celebration of Nauryz, women play a significant role, especially in cleaning and decorating the house, making traditional Nauryz dishes, Nauryz Koje, and performing various rituals, dancing and singing, and so on. They involve their children in all the celebratory activities, teaching them how to prepare and celebrate a Nauryz. Kazakh men actively participate in designing and organizing related rituals and ceremonies, executing the main function in traditional games, national sports competitions, playing folk music, and singing or reciting Nauryz praise, benediction, epics, and so on. All people, including folklore actors, practitioners in oral traditions, singers, dancers, musicians, storytellers, players of traditional games and sports competitions, and market traders, participate in the celebration and practice and transmit the element. By Nauryz, they have been becoming more experienced bearers and practitioners.
Publisher
National Center for Cultural Heritage
Place of Publication
Mongolia
Date of Publication
2023
Academic Field
heritage management
Community/Ethnic Group
Mongolia
Active Contribution
Mongolia, FY 2024