Events - 2009

Mongolian Lunar new year in 2009

 

All of Mongols celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is called in Mongolia Tsagaan Sar or the White Moon, Every year Tsagaan sar become different day but this year it will become in 25, February 2009. Families start preparing for the holiday at least a month in advance. First of all there is a tradition to prepare plenty of gifts and food. GERS, sheds and pens should be cleaned out. Every Mongol family makes hundreds of Buuz (steamed dumplings) and sews or buys new clothes. According to custom, the fattest sheep should be slaughted and the rump and tail boiled and served on the table for the entire holiday as an honorable meal. Tsagaan Sar symbol wealth and prosperity in the family. The New Year's Eve is called Bituun - the last dinner of the old year. Beginning at noon, the wife starts cleaning the GER. Everything must be spotless. Then the table, the centre piece of celebrations is laid with several dishes - the boiled sheep's rump, a dish with traditional bread biscuits, a dish of Beres (the vegetarian meal that, cooked rice with butter, sugar and raisin) and a dish with traditional milk products (dried curd, cheese and cream). All these dishes should be eaten that evening after the stars have come out.

 

February 28- March 02: The ice Festival and international skating marathon days

 

Organized yearly on frozen Lake Huvsgul by National park rangers, local residents and business organizations, the Ice Festival has been held five years running. A respite from the confinement of the winter months, the Ice Festival is a time to get outdoors and play games. The festival features a gathering of local residents and nomadic reindeer herders, and performances by shamans, traditional musicians, and sportsmen. Competitions include ice sumo, a horse-drawn sleigh race, ice skating races, tug-of-war between local teams, and a Russian Jeep race on the ice. Many traditional games are played on the sidelines, and this is an ideal venue for visitors to join in the fun and games with local people. The festival is held on Huvsgul Lake, a short drive north of Hatgal across the frozen lake ice.

 

 

01 March 2009. Tsaatan festival (reindeer festival)

Tsaatan festival provides great opportunity to see Tsaatan people's cestral culture and to play reindeer polo.

 

March 3-4: Thousand Camel Festival

 

Mongolia's two-humped Bactrian camel is nicknamed by local people the Gobi Ship. It inhabits the Gobi desert in the southern part of Mongolia. Camels still carry a large portion of the freight in this road less country, as well as GER (yurt) of the nomadic people when they move from place to place. Because the camel is an inseparable part of life for nomadic Mongolians, it has become a tradition in Mongolia to organize a Camel Festival every year in honor of this strong and beautiful animal. A local association of camel herders organizes this gathering of camels and their breeders each year to promote continued breeding of the Bactrian camel and to educate both Mongolians and foreigners on the importance of the camel in the Mongolian way of life. Camels and riders compete in a race, in camel polo tournaments, and even in a camel "beauty contest" where owners display the finest saddles and rigging for their camels. This festival is held in Bulgan county of Umnugobi province. Once travelers arrive in this province, it is only a short days trip to the sights of the Gobi Desert's Flaming Cliffs and dinosaur fossils place, the Yolyn Am ice canyon, and the Singing Dune.

 

 

JULY 11-13 Naadam Festival (Mongolian national holiday)

 

Mongolian nationwide Naadam festival is held annually in 11-12 of July and it is inherited from ancient time. Naadam means three games and it consists of Mongolian traditional man games which wrestling, horseracing with kid jockeys and archery competitions, which express courage, strength and coolness. Also lots of impressive performances such as Opera and national concerts are presented to public. The Naadam Festival is the major Mongolian holiday and a wonderful time to experience the culture and people of this amazing land. The festival has its roots in the nomad wedding assemblies and hunting extravaganzas of the Mongol Army. The opening ceremony features parade, monks and athletes before the real fun begins! In the Naadam Stadium the three sporting passions of Mongolians, horse racing, wrestling and archery, are played out over 2 days. But if you don't want to watch sport all the time, there's plenty to see and do outside like food, music, crafts or see how Mongolians celebrates their holiday.

 

JULY 26 HOLIDAY OF MONGOLIAN SCRIFT 

 

Script minister Tatatunga from Naiman tribe made initially up Mongolian ancient script under Chinggis khan's edict. Since that time, The Mongolian script has changed and developed in it is shape someway, but Mongolians have been leaving their great history and heritages as own script for future generation. Special calligraphies of world only vertical script and its many kinds of forms will be shown to the honor guests and tourists in educational camp.

 

September 17-18 “THE Nomads day” festival

 

The two days festival will be held in the tranquil and scenic surroundings of the Herlen river and Gun Galuut Nature Reserve of Mongolia. You will be see, hear, taste, feel and experience the nomadic lifestyle of real Mongolians. You will enjoy watching Mongolian ancient culture, customs, ceremonies and games.

 

October 3-4 The Eagle Festival

 

One of the oldest, most revered and spectacular celebrations of Mongolia's Kazakh people, passed down from generation to generation, is hunting with special trained eagles. This tradition exhibits the real pride of the Kazakh people. The annual festival brings together the best hunters and their eagles to display the skills of hunters and prowess of their birds. Kazakh hunters gather together to pass down techniques of hunting and training the eagles to younger generations. The festival is held in the very western area of Mongolia, at the heart of the majestic Altai Mountains, an area featuring rivers, glaciers and the beautiful landscapes of Mongolia's Bayan-Ulgii province.