- Preparation for the holiday
- Festive table
- New Year traditions
- Mass events during Nauryz Meiram
- Where can you rest
Residents of Kazakhstan celebrate the New Year twice. One of them falls on December 31 and is celebrated at the federal level in all major cities and villages, and the second is celebrated on March 22 and symbolizes the rebirth of nature, as well as the beginning of a new economic cycle.
Preparation for the holiday
Celebrating the New Year on the European calendar requires careful preparation. Therefore, Kazakhs go to the store for groceries and gifts in a week, decorate houses with garlands, snowflakes cut out of white paper and original flower arrangements. Of course, the main heroine of the celebration is the forest beauty, which is installed in the center of the room. Various toys, glass beads are hung on the tree, and Santa Claus is placed at the foot.
The country's main Christmas tree is located in the central square in Astana. Near it during the New Year holidays, mass festivities are organized, and a large skating rink is being built where you can try your hand at figure skating.
The annual exhibition of ice figures is also very popular. On the city stage on December 31, the best creative groups perform with dances, songs and other performances. The series of holidays ends with New Year's parties for children and entertainment programs for adults.
Festive table
Kazakh cuisine is diverse, so the New Year's menu includes many dishes prepared according to traditional recipes. Among them: beshbarmak (lamb or horse meat with hand-made noodles); kazy (homemade sausage with the addition of spices); sirne (lamb stewed in cream); kuyrdak (liver or kidneys fried with potatoes); shurpa (broth from any meat); lagman; koktal (fish smoked with vegetables); dairy products (kumiz, ayran, katyk, kurt, shalap); baursaki (fried donuts sprinkled with sugar); chak-chak.
Each owner of the house always has wheat vodka prepared for the holiday, the recipe of which has remained unchanged for many years. Also, Kazakhs prefer Russian cognac and wine as alcoholic drinks.
When serving the table, Kazakh women to this day observe an important rule, which is that the number of dishes should ideally be seven. This number, according to the Kazakhs, brings prosperity and health to all family members in the coming year.
New Year traditions
As for the modern holiday, it cannot be said that the Kazakhs have any special traditions. Most of them were borrowed from the USSR and currently represent a complex of festive events, accompanied by mass events, entertainment programs, as well as a celebration with the family.
The situation is quite different with the traditional New Year or Nauryz Meiram. The ceremonies associated with this holiday are rooted in the deep past. Here are just a few of them:
- Thorough cleaning of the premises on the eve of the celebration. This is how Kazakhs get rid of negative energy and unnecessary trash accumulated in the past year.
- It is imperative to pay off all debts and not swear with anyone during the holiday. Otherwise, you can get yourself in trouble.
- Before Nauryz Meiram, Kazakhs always fill all containers with liquid dairy products and place them around the house. Such a ritual is designed for a rich harvest in the future.
- Celebrating the New Year always begins with dawn, as Kazakhs believe in the custom, according to which, it is necessary to clear the spring at the first rays of the sun.
- On the third day of the celebration, people plant young trees in parks and city streets. Thus, they pay tribute to the memory of deceased relatives.
- After completing all the rituals, the Kazakhs put on bright costumes and go home in the number of three people in order to invite them over.
Mass events during Nauryz Meiram
Any celebration among the residents of Kazakhstan is associated with noisy entertainment, games and sports competitions. The fact is that the more fun the holiday is, the more likely it will bring prosperity to all the people next year.
Nauryz meiram is always accompanied by various events in the country. Wrestling competitions are organized everywhere, in which young Kazakhs take part. During the national game "Audary-spek" horsemen must pull each other. The winner is the one who does it first. After the game, the winners are awarded with symbolic gifts.
Kazakhs especially honor the performance where the akyna perform - the elders of the clan, singing songs in the Kazakh language. As a rule, to create a more peaceful atmosphere, a large fire is kindled, in the lights of which the sun is escorted over the horizon. This is the final stage of Nauryz Meiram.
Where can you rest
If you decide to celebrate the New Year in Kazakhstan, then you should go to Astana. It is this city that is the focus of folk festivities. For those who want to celebrate the holiday on December 31, parties are organized in the best restaurants in the city. In addition, you can enjoy visiting such historical sites as the Peace Palace, Khazret Sultan Mosque, Nur-Astana Mosque and other cultural heritage sites of the country.
History lovers can purchase a tour that includes a visit to the legendary Baikonur cosmodrome, where there is an interesting museum and many memorable exhibits, lovingly collected by the staff.
For those who prefer active sports, a trip to the Chimbulak resort, located in the foothills of the Zailiyskiy Alatau, is optimal. The developed infrastructure will allow you not only to celebrate the New Year in comfortable conditions, but also to go skiing or snowboarding. For beginners, classes are conducted on the territory of the resort with a professional instructor.
As a result, we note that a trip to Kazakhstan during the New Year holidays will give you a lot of positive impressions and new sensations.
