The Naadam Festival

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Naadam is Mongolia’s most well- known festival, and the one that most tourists see as it occurs at the height of summer.

This ancient festival dates back many centuries and was originally created a celebration during wedding or spiritual

gathering. It later served as a way to train soldiers for battle.

 

Wrestling, Horse racing and Archery epitomize the culture and context of Mongolia. They are simple sports; no

complicated scoring or special facilities or technology needed. The strongest, fastest man, the strongest, fastest horse

and the strongest, steadiest archer win the medals.

The National Naadam, like the Fourth of July or Bastille Day is held every year on the same days throughout the country,

July 10-12. During the year, other Naadams are held (the word means simply "festival") in conjunction with anniversaries

or significant dates of nearly any kind.

In addition to the three traditional sports, one may also find "knucklebone shooting", a game which combines aerial

shuffleboard with a puppet show stage. As a spectator sport, it is more exciting than paint drying.

 

When and Where to Attend

Naadam in Ulaan Baatar has its advantages and disadvantages. The good news is that it's certainly the biggest and most

colorful Naadam. There are opening and closing ceremonies and all the best wrestlers and archers in the country will be

in Ulaan Baator. For the knucklebone shooting enthusiasts there's an entire tent full of that sport. The horse races are the

largest in the country with some of the best horses. The archery, wrestling and knucklebone shooting venues are all

nearby each other. But during the Naadam festival in Ulaanbaatar, it would be crowded by a lot of people and hard to

catch and see all the activities sometime.

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Naadam festivals occur during the month of July across the countryside. But with no regular schedule, so ask for details

from us. When you are at the mini Naadam festival in the countryside, you'll be free to wander among the tents of the

horse racing families, watch how the trainers prep the horses and the young jockeys, even be invited in for fermented

mare's milk. You can sit cross legged with locals who, with their bodies, delineate the boundaries of the wrestling area.

Be prepared to get out of the way quickly when the wrestlers head your way. There will be great wrestling action, thrilling

horse races and you'll probably be able to try your hand at archery.

 

Tsagaan sar

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For Monglians, the first  holiday to  celebrate  the  new year  is  Tsagaan  sar. The  new year  festival  according  to  the lunar  calendar  is called  Tsagaan sar  meaning  "White Moon”. This  is a big  family  celebration  lasting  three  days  with various ceremonies. Tsagaan  sar  is  celebrated on  the  first day  of a spring  month  when  winter  ends  and  spring comes. Tsagaan  sar  falls in January of February  on the Gregorian  calendar  depending  on  the  phases  of the  moon , unless the  leap  year  has  been  calculated  differently. Celebration on the lunar  new  year's eve is called 'bituun' and this evening every family  prepare a big meal and lot  of fresh food  to have a feast. A big wrestling match  is broadcast live  throughout  the country  this evening. People  ride their best  horses  during  this  holiday  and prepare  their new clothes in  advance and wear  the  most   elegant  ones. Their homes  are cleaned up  thoroughly  on the  eve. In the morning  of  a  new  year  a housewife offers  the  first  cup  of tea to  gods  in  all directions. After the sun  rises,  people start  to  greet  with  each  other. Greeting, they  stretch  their  arms  and the young  support the  elbow of the old. The senior or elder people  wish a long and happy  life  to  the  young. While exchanging snuff bottles  in  greeting, people usually  talk about  how  they  passed the winter. During  the  days  of the Lunar  calendar Year  Holiday  there  are various ceremonies: visits to  relatives, exchanges  of  gifts and  lots of  eating. A guest is welcomed warmly  and is served  with tea and food. In addition to the offerings  of food, hosts give  a present  to  visitors  and sweets  to  children. Every  year the  president  gives  a speech  on  the  TV and  offers  greetings  on the occasion  of  Tsagaan sar. Mongolians  signify the  first  day  of  a new  year  very  much, therefore  people  exercise  religious  practices  called  ' khiimorio  sergeekh' to be inspired  and  lucky. In tsagaan  sar   people  perform  an  "Ovoo" ceremony   to  worship  their  god and nature. Kazakh Eagle Hunters’ festival

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Eagle Hunting, one of the most dramatic and primal relationships between man and beast is alive and well in the remote mountains of western Mongolia. Falconry developed in Central Asia and for centuries, Kazakh men have hunted from horseback with trained golden eagles, the largest and most powerful of raptors. Fox, rabbit and even wolf are hunted for   theirfur and for the challenge they present, pursued across the snowy mountains and steppes. The Kazakhs only hunt with their eagles during winter, when the pelts of the rabbits, red fox and wolf are at their most luxuriant. Hunting with eagles is an ancient sport. It reminds us of how close, until recent history, man was with both nature and animals. This tradition, lost in many parts of the world, is enjoying a resurgence of interest among the Kazakhs and has spread to other ethnic groups who once hunted with raptors but lost the knowledge. Eagle hunters celebrate this eagle hunting festival in the end of October or in the beginning of November.