What is Nauryz and how to celebrate it?

This holiday is called Nauryz, which is translated from ancient Iranian as “new day”. And it turns out that in Kazakhstan people walk twice in a big way - first in winter and then in spring. By the way, both holidays turn out to be extremely spectacular and interesting, they do not skimp on holding nationwide events in the country. Everything is clear with one of them, but we will tell you more about Nauryz in more detail: how to celebrate, what to do, what is and where to go. Believe me, it will be very interesting!

Sacred sources: Nauryz and Tengrianism

Several thousand years ago, when the nomadic tribes did not yet know Islam, the future Kazakh tribes deified nature, believed in the power of heaven - Tengri and earth - Umai. Water and fire were considered sacred, and the earth was supposed to be treated with care, not to kick or spit. It is believed that it was during this period that the foundation of the Nauryz holiday was laid. Thousands of years ago on this day it was customary to clean up the house, clear irrigation canals or water sources, prepare a traditional dish of seven ingredients, gather together under one roof by a large family and have fun until late.

All this, to one degree or another, is present in the modern version of Nauryz, which indicates its origin in the time of Tengrianism. By the way, Nauryz arose about 5000 years ago, long before the acceptance by the peoples of the East of Islam and therefore is not attached to religious sacraments. Thanks to this, the whole population of Kazakhstan celebrates it with pleasure, regardless of nationality, color, race and belief.

Folk fun and national color

What to do in Nauryz for those who have never celebrated this holiday? Go outside, of course! After all, all the fun takes place here: in parks, squares, large avenues and boulevards, large-scale celebrations and a host of recreational events are organized, which, we bet, you have never seen in your life! If you are still poorly orientated in a new city, do not be afraid to merge with the crowd - it will certainly lead you to the most interesting. Most likely, to a huge stage where local talents or even invited artists will sing the arrival of spring, entertain people with dancing and a show program.

But what’s really cool and very colorful is the endless rows of huge white yurts (semicircular tents), where you can go completely free and enjoy traditional holiday treats, which we will talk about later. True, it’s not customary to sit there for a long time, because there are many who wish! Therefore, here’s a small life hack - try to try everything that is unfamiliar in appearance and hurry to visit another yurt. Believe me, you will definitely like the local goodies!

How to have fun on Nauryz?

Again, all the unusual and exciting activities take place on the street. If you meet horses freely walking along the avenue in horse blankets with a national ornament, then you can definitely ride and take pictures of them, imagining yourself a nomad. From a distance, the huge swings “Altybakan”, the favorite entertainment of youth, will be noticeable. Most often they ride together or even a whole company to make it more fun.

Again, all the unusual and exciting activities take place on the street. If you meet horses freely walking along the avenue in horse blankets with a national ornament, then you can definitely ride and take pictures of them, imagining yourself a nomad. From a distance, the huge swings “Altybakan”, the favorite entertainment of youth, will be noticeable. Most often they ride together or even a whole company to make it more fun.

What do you need to try?

If you have relatives with Turkic roots, then you're in luck - there is nothing better than a family dastarkhan laid with love (a table served with traditional dishes). But even if they don’t exist, don’t worry, we have several life hacks in store for you how to get to the real Kazakh feast.

The first, and perhaps the easiest, option is to make this request to your local tour operator, who can easily organize anything for you, including the dastarkhan in a real yurt.

The second option is to go to ethnoaul. There you can fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the nomadic people, starting with exploring the features of everyday life and ending with traditional dishes.

Well, the third option - welcome to cafes and restaurants of Kazakh cuisine, to taste the national delights. Here you will have beshbarmak, and nauryz skin, and baursaki, and shelpeki, and if you're lucky, even kazy or traditional sweets. Ever heard of such dishes? Well, just try once to remember them for life.

Beshbarmak is a favorite meat dish of the peoples of Asia (in different countries it can have a different name, but the essence is the same), consisting of kespe noodles, tender boiled meat and rich broth with onions.

National Kazakh dish - Beshbarmak prepared with meat and pasta on the rustic wooden table

Kazi is a long and thick horse meat sausage that is served hot. The slightly specific taste of meat is favorably complemented by spices, which makes this dish a real delicacy.

Baursaki are round buns fried in oil, slightly crispy and very soft inside, and shelpeks are traditional flat cakes.

And finally, the most important dish that you definitely need to try on this holiday is nauryz skin. It is prepared strictly from the seven ingredients, this is even given sacred meaning. Most often, the composition of nauryz-skin looks like this: meat, salt, fat, onions, wheat, kurt (pieces of dried brackish curd) and irimshik (soft curd). The taste is very specific, but at the same time quite fresh, with a salty and creamy notes. It is believed that if you try nauryz-kozhe in seven different houses, then the whole year will pass in abundance and abundance.