Holiday traditions in culture Crimean Tatars

The concept of "culture of life", national characteristics of everyday culture . Crimean Tatars

Introduction

National characteristics
Life and culture of the Crimean Tatars
Culinary traditions of Tatar cuisine
Traditions of the holidays of the Crimean Tatars

Conclusion

List of references

Introduction

On our home planet there are a huge variety of different countries with its own traditions, customs And culture. The relationship between these cultures and people is sometimes quite strained and tense, since there are national characteristics, individual for everyone people.
It is no secret that those traditions that are considered the norm for Europeans are completely unacceptable, for example, for the peoples of Asia. It is very important to understand the various subtleties that relate to culturaltraditions and characteristics of the peoples of the world. After all, failure to comply with etiquette traditions and the cultural heritage of a particular country can lead to various conflicts. Today it is very important that the peoples of the world preserve their traditions and not succumb to the influence of an omnipresent civilization. The uniqueness of an individual nation lies precisely in its cultural characteristics, which are unique to it.
So, I want to talk about the Crimean Tatars, let's start:

Crimean Tatars (Crimea. q?r?mtatarlar, units h. q?r?mtatar) or Crimeans (Crimea . q?r?mlar, units h. q?r?m) - people living inCrimea. They speak Crimean Tatar language , which belongs to the Turkic group of languages. There are 3 dialects: northern (steppe), middle and southern (in accordance with the past settlement of the Crimean Tatars); the latter was strongly influenced by the Turkish language.
They live mainly in Crimea (about 260 thousand) and also inTurkey , Bulgaria , Romania , Uzbekistan , Russia . The Crimean Tatar diaspora in Turkey is very large. The vast majority of Crimean Tatars areMuslims - Sunnis , belong to the Hanafimadhhab .
The name “Crimean Tatars” has remained in the Russian language since the times when almost all Turkic-speaking peoplesRussian Empire were called Tatars:Karachais (Mountain Tatars),Azerbaijanis (Transcaucasian or Azerbaijani Tatars),Khakassians (Abakan Tatars), etc. The Crimean Tatars themselves today use two self-names: q?r?mtatarlar(literally “krytatarlar”)

The education of moral qualities among Tatars is carried out by parents, who warn their children against actions condemned by society. Parents try to prevent their children from drinking alcohol and smoking. Drunkenness and smoking, which were not common among Tatars in the past, are condemned by the older generation. In villages to this day, men rarely dare to smoke in front of their elders.
In a Tatar family, the father is responsible for the education, mainly labor, of sons, and the mother is responsible for daughters. The mother is more often involved with young children, monitors the children’s studies, and is interested in relationships with friends. The father most often talks about various social, political, cultural, and sporting events.
Among the Tatars, relations between parents and children are still influenced by folk traditions and restraint of their feelings. It was believed that children should not be spoiled too much with attention, especially from their father. In many Tatar families (mainly in villages) a unique relationship was preserved: children turned to their mother with their suggestions or requests, and she, in turn, turned to her husband. In the modern family, the traditions of adult members supporting the authority of the father over the children have been preserved. Nevertheless, absolute dictate on the part of parents, especially the father, and unconditional obedience and subordination of children, characteristic of their relationships in traditional Tatar families, are replaced by relations of mutual respect and mutual interest on both sides. Children are involved in discussing various issues of family life, and parents and all adult family members participate in resolving issues relating to the fate of children.

National characteristics
The most important and most attractive feature of national culture is its amazing diversity, originality and uniqueness.
By developing the characteristics of its culture, a nation avoids imitation and humiliating copying, and creates its own forms of organizing cultural life. If a culture does not have a special, unique aroma, it is like a faceless person. Like any manifestation of individuality, the identity of national culture is enriched simultaneously with the general flourishing of the nation and confidence in its future place in world civilization.
Each national culture has its own fruits: spiritual gains and discoveries, its own dramas and tragedies, its own vision of the world.
Nowadays, when in different countries and continents
hundreds of thousands of people of different nationalities live, abandoned by fate far from their native places, progressive national culture is called upon, on behalf of those united by a common ethnic origin or cultural heritage, to connect their spiritual interests, preserve and support
national traditions.
It is quite natural and natural for people to strive to understand their unique national culture. The importance of national self-awareness is that it morally strengthens a person, awakens his interest in national history, his values ​​and traditions. Severance from national roots inevitably leads to national nihilism and spiritual impoverishment.
Recently, the concept of national patriotism has entered the public language. It must be approached with all attention and caution, remembering that love for the fatherland has always been a holy and pure feeling. At the same time, love for one’s nation cannot be turned into thoughtlessly fanatical deification, one cannot fetishize one’s nation as God’s chosen, “the smartest and most talented.” Any exaltation of one’s nation and one’s people at the expense of others is not patriotism, but national arrogance, covered by a patriotic sign. A universal principle that cannot be opposed
patriotism lies in the fact that a person, loving his nation and national culture, understands that another culture always has something valuable and necessary.

Life and culture of the Crimean Tatars

The main thing in the life of the nomadic population was cattle breeding. It provided milk, kumiss, meat, leather, wool, etc. Meat was never sold in the steppe, and travelers were fed free of charge according to the laws of hospitality. Milk and kumiss could not be taken out of the yurt at night.

Travelers from Muslim countries were amazed by the fact that Tatar women did not wear burqas and always had an open face - this was unthinkable in the countries of classical Islam. The inhabitants of the Crimean ulus had a vivid folklore of a heroic-epic, song nature, developed applied arts, crafts, and their own written language (Uyghur alphabet).

In Crimea there was a unique type of housing that the Mongols brought to Europe - a square-shaped building (maximum 6x6 m), always one-room with an extremely similar interior, a low U-shaped stove - a stove bench (kan) with two or three chimneys for heating the home. In Crimea, due to mild weather, such stoves heated only one wall of the house. During the day, the kan turned into a kind of furniture, where they sat with their legs crossed, spread out a tablecloth and laid out food, and at night, the kan became a sufa - a sofa and, covered with felt, carpets and blankets, served as a bed.

Crimean Tatar settlements and dwellings absorbed the richest building traditions of many ethnic groups that took part in its formation, primarily the Taurians, ancient and medieval Greeks, Goths, and Turkic peoples. The peculiarity of settlements and dwellings was also determined by differences in economic structures: settled agriculture and traditional cattle breeding.
Traditional settlements and dwellings of the Crimean Tatars had their own characteristics depending on the natural and climatic conditions and landscape of the Crimean Peninsula (mountains, foothills, coast, steppe).
The Crimean Tatar dwelling, created as a result of the complex historical past of Crimea, fully complied with local climatic conditions and basic requirements regarding air, light, and heat standards.
The surviving traditional settlements and dwellings of the Crimean Tatars must be taken under state protection, as well as a comprehensive scientific study of them must be carried out, because Their systematic destruction is still ongoing (destruction of the Crimean Tatar quarter in Alushta in 1990, bulldozing of an 18th century mosque in the village of Kuchyuk-Ozenbash, Bakhchisaray district in 1989, etc.).
It is necessary to restore Crimean Tatar place names in Crimea, which are part of the culture of the people and contain a wealth of material on their history and ethnogenesis.

When Islam became the religion of the Crimean ulus, monumental buildings of mosques, minarets, madrassas, durbe mausoleums and magnificent palaces for the nobility appeared. This architecture widely used decorations with glazed multi-colored ceramic tiles and gold leaf coating. Geometric patterns were combined with bright plant vignettes, garlands written in artistic fonts, texts from the Koran, poems, etc.
Culinary traditions of Tatar cuisine
The culinary traditions of Tatar cuisine have evolved over many centuries. While maintaining its originality, a lot in the kitchen changed: it was improved, enriched with new knowledge and products that the Tatars learned about from their neighbors
As a legacy from the Turkic tribes of the Volga Bulgaria period, Tatar cuisine included katyk, bal-may (butter with honey), kabartma (flatbread), dumplings and tea were borrowed from Chinese cuisine, pilaf, halva, sherbet from Uzbek cuisine, and from Tajik - pahleve. In turn, the experience of Tatar chefs was also in demand. Did you know that Russian chefs adopted the technology of frying food from the Tatars? In his book, William Pokhlebkin writes that at the court of Ivan the Terrible, fried dishes were prepared exclusively by Tatar cooks, because At that stage in Russian cuisine, the cooking process was reduced to boiling or baking in the oven.

Since ancient times, the Tatars have been engaged in settled agriculture and animal husbandry, which contributed to the predominance of flour and meat and dairy dishes in their food. Lamb has always been considered the favorite meat of the Tatars, although it did not occupy an exclusive position, like among the Kazakhs or Uzbeks. Along with it, they prepared dishes from beef, horse meat, and poultry meat (chickens, ducks and geese). The meat was eaten boiled, salted and dried, in the form of sausage (kazylyk). The recipe for kyzdyrma has survived virtually unchanged to this day.
Sweets are a special part of national cuisine. They occupy a separate place and play a special role in the life of the Crimean Tatar family. If meat, fish, and vegetable dishes in the family serve mainly for everyday food, for food, to preserve strength, then sweets are mainly festive food, used for receiving guests. With the help of sweets, the owners try to surprise their friends who come to the light.
Sweets among the Crimean Tatars are divided into two categories - everyday and festive. Everyday ones include solid lump sugar (katty sheker), various dried fruits (kurular), raisins (yuzyum kurusy), but sheker kyik, kurabye, baklava are usually prepared on holidays. Crimean Tatars usually celebrate special events and hold national and family holidays with these sweets.

Tatar cuisine also has its own food prohibitions. Thus, according to Sharia, it was forbidden to eat pig meat, as well as some birds, for example, falcon, swan - the latter were considered sacred. One of the main prohibitions concerns wine and other alcoholic beverages. The Koran notes that in wine, like in gambling, there is good and bad, but there is more of the former.

But probably the greatest variety in Tatar cuisine to this day exists in the recipe for baking from unleavened, yeast, butter, sour, and sweet dough. The symbol of prosperity and prosperity among the Tatars was bread - ikmek, which used to be baked for future use 2-3 times a week.
Crimean Tatar table etiquette had its own characteristics. So, for example, in the place of honor at the head of the table (ter), the head of the family, the father, sat next to him, the mother, then the older and younger children. If there were old people or guests in the family, then the most honorable places were given to them. Elders were respected as guardians of family traditions and bearers of the cultural values ​​of the people. The head of the family was the first to start eating with the word “Bismillah” (“In the name of Allah!”), and then all the other participants in the meal. Violation of this order was considered a sign of bad manners. After finishing the meal, they did not get up from the table until the elder read a short prayer (sofra duwasy), which included a verse from the Koran and wishes to everyone sitting at the table.

Traditions of the holidays of the Crimean Tatars

Eid al-Adha
etc.................

Yil Gejesi

It occupies a special place in the system of calendar holidays - it is an ancient family celebration. Has simple rituals. Celebrated as the beginning of winter at the very long night in the year - December 22.

Crimean Tatars celebrated this holiday throughout Crimea, but in different regions they called it differently. For example, on the South Coast this holiday was called Kalenda (Latin for “first day of the month”), and the day of December 22 was called Kantar, which means “scales.” This refers to balance (winter solstice). In other places of Crimea it was called Yyl bashi or Yyl gejesi.

For the Yil Gejesi holiday, housewives prepare kobete - a pie with chicken meat and boiled rice. An unpainted egg is placed on top in the center of the kobete. White halva is being prepared. Before the festive table, family members try to discreetly smear each other's faces with soot from under the cauldron. Noise rises, jokes and fun begin. When darkness falls, the boys put on their fur coats inside out and walk in a crowd from house to house, shouting: “Kalenda, Kalenda!” Approaching the house, they say: “If you give me a treat, let you have a boy, but if not, then a bald girl.” The hostess gives the children nuts, candies and sweets. The girls sing carols this night. A guy secretly visits his girlfriend in the evening and asks her if she is ready to accept a match from him. If the girl agrees to marry him, then he gives her a coal as a sign of consent to take her as the mistress of his hearth. It is believed that dreams seen on this night come true.

In the morning, the housewife prepares a traditional soup of small dumplings, an obligatory component of which is an egg. This is how the Crimean Tatars celebrate the beginning of winter and the beginning of the astronomical year.

Navrez

An ancient holiday of farmers. Celebrated as the beginning of a new economic year and spring. Navrez is an Iranian word: nav - new and rez (ruz) - day. The holiday is held on March 21, the day the Sun enters the constellation Aries (Sheep), in Crimean Tatar - K'ozu, when day is equal to night. The custom of celebrating Navrez among the Crimean Tatars arose no later than the 12th-13th centuries, along with the adoption of Islam.

The main stages of the Navrez celebration:

Farewell to the old business year

A week before the holiday, the housewife begins to prepare for it: she whitewashes, cleans the utility rooms, and sets aside old, unusable things for burning. Men are preparing for plowing, repairing agricultural equipment. The boys prepare masks and goat costumes (fur coat inside out with a tail attached to it). On the eve of the holiday, women boil eggs, but do not paint them. They bake kobete (layered meat pie) and all kinds of national cookies. On a festive evening, they make a fire, burn old things in it, and splash water on each other. At the beginning of darkness, the boys gather in groups of 3-7 people. One of them dresses up as a goat, the others put on prepared masks. In their hands they hold branches with strengthened snowdrop flowers. Boys move in groups from one yard to another and sing New Year's songs. The owners treat the children with sweets and nuts. Two days before Navrez, the girls gather in one of the houses where they make preparations for fortune-telling. New Year's Eve. To do this, they throw their rings or necklaces into a jug of water, and this jug is placed under a rose bush on the night before Navrez. The next night, on the eve of Navrez, the girls gather near this bush. The youngest of them is blindfolded, and she pulls out jewelry from a jug, jokingly predicts the fate of their mistress in the coming new year (whether she will get married this year, what her betrothed will be like, what house she will end up in)...

New Year's Eve

On the day of Navrez, after morning prayers, elderly people visit the cemetery, where they tidy up the graves, read funeral prayers in which they ask God and the spirits of the departed for a good harvest and an increase in the herd. Thus, the living seem to communicate with the souls of the departed. On the eve of the holiday, women boil eggs, prepare white halva, bake kobete, and prepare chicken noodle soup; It is considered a good omen if the noodles “run away” from the pan: this means that the year will be fruitful. On this day, girls and boys wear festive green outfits, symbolizing the awakening of nature.

First furrow

Navrez is the first month of the start of field work. The men went out into the field. The most respected elder, having read a prayer, made the first furrow and threw the first handful of seeds of the future harvest into the ground. Ethnographic materials indicate that Navrez (March 21) for the Crimean Tatars originally meant the economic new year, which ended on September 22 - after the Derviz holiday.

Hydyrlez

The Khydyrlez holiday reflects the complex ethnic history Crimean Tatars. Its rituals and customs trace the origins of beliefs, social life and economic activities of the people. The holiday is celebrated on Friday of the 1st week of the month of Kuralai (May). After Hydyrlez, the social year begins. The day before, the housewives begin a thorough cleaning of the entire house, since, according to legend, Hydyrlez does not visit a dirty house. It is believed that if a pregnant woman breaks this tradition, the birth may be difficult. In the evening, housewives bake round bread (kalakai), kobete. In villages near the jami (mosque), young people are preparing to light a fire. In the evening, residents of the entire village gather at this place. After the evening namaz (prayer), the most respected resident of the village lights a fire and is the first to jump over it, followed by the rest of the men, then the young men and boys. Jumping, they say: “Difficulties for the Gentile, but prosperity for me.” Then the men leave. During this time, the flames die out, and then women and girls begin to jump over the fire.

According to legend, on the night before the holiday, children, fearing terrible dreams, smear garlic on their heads, lips and feet and read prayers for the night. In the evening, housewives scatter a handful of wheat on the windowsill, the cattle are taken out of the barn and fumigated with smoke from the “evil eye.” On the day of the holiday, after morning prayer, the housewife milks the cow and sheep and sprinkles the entrance to the barn with milk. On this day, every family tries to plant a tree (men - an apple tree, women - a pear) or flowers. Crimean Tatars try to celebrate this holiday in nature, near a spring. A swing is pre-installed in the clearing. The girls cover them with flowers and swing on them. Women sprinkle each other with greens and slide down the slide. An integral part of the holiday is the descent of pre-baked bread from a hill. If the loaf falls face up, then there will be a good harvest, but if on the contrary, then the year will be a bad harvest. Men compete in wrestling (kuresh). At this holiday, boys and girls get to know each other, brides are viewed and their choice takes place. The general fun ends with the obligatory performance of the general dance Khoran (group dance forming a circle).

From ethnographic materials it follows that the Crimean Tatar spring holidays Navrez and Hydyrlez are a set of rituals and customs that are aimed at appeasing the forces of nature in order to obtain a rich harvest and increase the number of livestock. They show elements of the culture of the farmer and pastoralist.

Derviza

The specifics of calendar rituals are complemented autumn holiday- Derviza. It is celebrated on September 22, the day of the solar equinox. After this day, the “dying away” of the forces of nature begins, i.e. autumn begins. The name Derviz consists of two words: “der” means door, gate. The second word is “visa” - permission to enter. In other words, in accordance with the functional purpose of this day, Derviza means “entering a new world.”

Before the holiday, as usual, the house and yard are thoroughly cleaned. Housewives bake bread, kobete. On the day of the holiday, girls in elegant clothes scatter ashes on the field, in the vegetable garden, in the garden and vineyards. The boys clean the barn and fumigate it with smoke. This holiday is organized jointly by residents of several villages that are part of one community - “jamaat”. As always, the holiday begins with prayer and the sacrifice of a ram. After this, several girls aged 10-12 years put on sheepskin coats, symbolizing the approach of winter, while simultaneously announcing the beginning of the holiday. Women roll a sieve (elek) from the hills. If the sieve lies upside down, there will be a good harvest, but if upside down, then a small harvest is expected, if it stands on its side, the grains will grow tall. At this festival, competitions of dancers, singers, poets, and ditty connoisseurs are held, and competitions in national kuresh wrestling are organized. Only on this holiday do they compete in throwing a stone into the distance, saying: “May the dark days return when this stone returns,” in other words, never. Fairs are a must. Usually the holiday ends with a general dance - a khoran, which appears as a dance of the unity of the people in achieving a common goal.

On this day, the Crimean Tatars sum up the results of their work from Khyderlez to Derviza, that is, they complete the sowing of winter crops, receive their sheep from the shepherds who have descended from the yayla, and the owners make mutual settlements with the shepherds. After this, the whole village chooses a new shepherd or remains the same. Then the wedding season begins.

Eid al-Fitr

Fasting is the fourth of the five obligatory conditions observed by Muslims. Fasting begins in the month of Ramadan (Ramadan) on the first day of the new moon and is observed for 30 days. The word Ramadan (Ramadan) means to burn, that is, during this month, when fasting is observed, all sins are “burned out,” the doors of heaven are opened, and the doors of hell are closed. Along with fasting, Islam encourages a Muslim to engage in good deeds: feed the hungry, invite at least one person to his house who is fasting, and feed him dinner in the evening.

After the 30-day fast, the Eid al-Fitr holiday begins. The day before Eid al-Fitr or on the day of the holiday, after the festive prayer, Crimean Tatars give fitr - alms - based on the cost of 1 kg of wheat for each family member. Fitr is distributed to the poor, orphans, and lonely old people. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated for 4 days and falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. On this day, reconciliation occurs between those who were in a quarrel. Everyone asks each other for forgiveness for voluntary and involuntary offenses.

4 days before the holiday, they begin to thoroughly clean the house, court premises, barns, and clean the livestock. After cleaning is completed, all family members are required to bathe, put on clean underwear, tidy up their hair, and cut their nails. Women dye their hair, the first phalanx of their fingers, with henna. This is how they prepare for the most sacred night of the month of Ramadan, which falls on the 27th of Ramadan - Kadir Gejesi, which means “the night of deciding human destinies, the night of power” - the night of predestination.

In the evening, housewives fry khatlama and chibereki. Children bring them to relatives, mutual exchange of dishes occurs. This custom is called “so that there is a smell of food in the house.” It is mandatory to feed this dish to your dog. On Oraza Bayram, the festive table mainly consists of sweet baked dishes: khurabiya, khatlam, sweets, fruits, and all kinds of jams. Holiday coffee is a must.

Eid al-Adha

It is one of the main holidays of Muslims. Begins on the tenth day of the month of Dhu-l-Hijjah and is celebrated for 4 days. Every wealthy Muslim slaughters a sheep, goat, bull or camel, depending on his means. He distributes the meat to the poor, orphans, and lonely old people, wanting to atone for their sins and receive God’s blessing in their deeds.

During the sacrifice, certain rituals are observed. In Crimea, during the Eid al-Adha holiday, rams are most often sacrificed. The animal intended for this purpose must be without any defect, with intact teeth; if there are horns, they must not be damaged. The animal must be a one-year-old male. Beforehand, a special prayer is read over the animal. A number of rules are also followed:

Knives must be well sharpened in advance. You cannot sharpen a knife near a sacrificial animal.

The animal's eyes are tied with a scarf.

Henna is applied to the head and a lollipop is placed in the mouth.

It is necessary to dump the animal on its left side next to the hole, tie two front and one hind legs.

If there are several sacrificial animals, then the rest should stand at a distance from that place and should not see the act of sacrifice.

According to custom, the meat of a sacrificial ram is not washed. It is carefully checked and cleaned of adhered hairs, cut into small pieces (200-250 g). It is boiled in water, adding only onions and salt to the broth, and greens in the summer. Eaten with bread or flatbreads. For three days, the family consumes 1/3 of the meat of the sacrificial ram, treating all guests who came with congratulations on the occasion of the holiday, and 2/3 of the meat is distributed to the poor, lonely, whose income does not allow sacrificing a ram. The skin of the sacrificial ram is presented as a gift to the jami. In addition, trips to Aziz (holy places of the Crimean Tatars) are carried out.

Ashir kunyu

Crimean Tatars celebrate the Ashir Kunyu holiday, which comes after Ashir Gejesi (Night of Ashir), which is one of the 10 blessed nights revered by Muslims. Ashir Kunyu falls on the 10th day of the month of Muharrem (Ashir Ay). This day is celebrated as the day of remembrance of the fallen sons of the prophet Ali: Usein and Asan during one of the wars with the infidels. On this day, the Tatars, unlike the Shiites, do not reproduce the details of their murder, but limit themselves to lighting a candle and reading a prayer. This month, a ritual dish known as “ashir ash” (food on the day of Ashir) is prepared and consumed, and clean spring or well water is drunk.

According to the legend of the Crimean Tatars, during one of the wars against infidels, Muslim soldiers were surrounded by the enemy. The food ran out and hunger began. Everyone began to look in their pockets to see if there was any food left. And in the pockets of the seven warriors various products were found: grains of wheat, beans, corn, peas, walnuts, dried fruits. Having collected everything, we cooked food. In memory of this event, seven mandatory components are used when preparing this dish in the month of Ashir Ai:

Corn; purified, specially processed wheat; Crimean peas; beans; various dried fruits; Walnut; syrup.

Source of publication: Kurtiev R.I. Calendar rites of the Crimean Tatars. -Simferopol: Crimean educational and pedagogical state publishing house, 1996. © 1999 Taurida National University. Vernadsky.

Source

SIMFEROPOL, March 21 – RIA Novosti Crimea. International Nowruz Day is widely celebrated on March 21 every year among Muslims in many countries. This is one of the most ancient holidays on the planet, symbolizing the beginning of a new life, a new agricultural year.

History and national features of the celebration

In September 2009, the agricultural holiday Navruz Bayram was included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and in February 2010, the UN General Assembly declared March 21 as International Navruz Day.

In the CIS the holiday is celebrated as national Tatars, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and many other peoples. The commonly used pronunciation is “Navruz”, but each nation pronounces the name of the holiday differently: Novruz, Navruz, Nuruz, Nevruz, Nauryz, Nooruz, etc. The Crimean Tatars call it Navrez.

"This folk holiday, which is well ingrained in our culture, so for us it's like secular New Year, another reason to get the whole family together. The new generation does not take the holiday as seriously as our elders. Before returning to Crimea, we survived; we had no time for spirituality. Now we are returning to our own traditions,” Shefika Abduramanova, head of the exhibition, cultural and educational activities department of the Crimean Tatar Museum of Cultural and Historical Heritage, told RIA Novosti Crimea.

The holiday is non-religious. It arose long before Islam and was known since pre-Zoroastrian times, it was celebrated even before the 7th century BC.

It is believed that the origin of the holiday is ancient Iranian, associated with the cult of the Sun and the name of the legendary prophet Zarathushtra (spelling variant - Zoroaster, Zardusht). In some countries March 21st has been announced public holiday and on days off.

Customs and traditions

Before the holiday, it is customary to go to the graves of ancestors and put them in order. Before Navruz, the owners try to put the house in order, whitewash and renovate it. All clothes must be washed to wash away the negativity accumulated over the year. Even before Islam, the week before Nowruz was considered dedicated to the souls of ancestors. They commemorated their ancestors by making offerings to them and asking them for help in the coming year and protection from harm.

It is customary for the Crimean Tatars to begin the celebration after morning namaz (prayer). On the morning of March 21, everyone goes to the ennobled graves and says prayers there.

"The traditions of the celebration are similar among all Muslims. They prepare for Nowruz 6 weeks before the start. A month before the holiday, they begin to plant wheat so that it germinates. The table is decorated with this sprouted grass. There should be a lot of dishes on the table, but symbolic dishes must be present: bread , olives, penir (homemade cheese), pumpkin, grapes, raisins, nuts,” noted a museum specialist.

There must be seven products on the table. The magical seven objects and products on the table become a symbolic gift to the Sun, which, accepting this gift, must take care of a rich harvest. On Navruz, as on Easter, it is customary to paint eggs and decorate the festive table with them. Many people prepare pilaf for the festive table.

In ancient times, Navruz was celebrated for 13 days. At the end of the celebrations, people went out into the field, where they celebrated the New Year. In most countries, this tradition has not been preserved, but in Iran, Nowruz is still celebrated for almost two weeks.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Tatarstan is one of the most distinctive regions Russian Federation. The culture of the region is of interest both within the country and in the rest of the world. There is no doubt that there are individual Tatar holidays that are unique. Like the culture of this entire people, they are of particular interest.

Traditions of the region

In Russia it is still difficult to find such an entity that would so carefully protect its national memory and pass it on from generation to generation. Tatar traditions originate in hoary antiquity, intertwined with religion, they result in that very original culture.

As examples of things unique to Tatarstan, one can name special rituals at the birth of a child (includes a whole set of sequential rituals - ebilek, avyzlandyru, babai munchasy, babai ashy), the groom's courtship of the bride (it is from here that such a ritual became known throughout the country, like bride price), wedding (this ritual took place in several stages and could last up to six months).

Faith and rituals

Tatars are long-time followers of the Islamic religion. Islam has deeply penetrated the very essence of this nation, thereby having a huge impact on its self-awareness. Islamic traditions are still alive today, so it is not surprising that the Tatar National holidays of a religious nature are actively celebrated today. To denote celebrations associated with faith, there are even separate names - Gayet and Bayram. Religious holidays dedicated to fasting, sacrifices and significant dates from the life of the prophet Muhammad.

Spring holidays

Spring is a special time in life Tatar people. This time of year always brings with it long-awaited warmth, which has long been regarded, regardless of religion, as the beginning of something new, the return of nature to life. Therefore, it is quite understandable that quite large Tatar celebrations are celebrated during this season. One of the most ancient such celebrations is called “Boz karau, boz bagu” and is associated with the long-awaited thaw. As you know, the first thing a thaw brings with it is the disappearance of ice from reservoirs, so such an event is usually celebrated as the first victory of spring over winter, which has been staying away for too long.

Spring New Year

Nowadays, perhaps the most important holiday of spring is Novruz Bayram - a celebration of In fact, on this day, according to the lunar Muslim calendar, the real New Year begins. In Tatarstan, this day is celebrated on a grand scale; it is customary to celebrate it with several families, and dishes of beans, peas, and rice must be present on the table. These celebrations are special for the entire people; they are celebrated noisily and joyfully, which, according to legend, will bring good luck and joy for the whole next year. In a word, this Tatar spring holiday is of a family nature, helping to strengthen family ties.

Hydyrlez

The ancient culture of many peoples is in one way or another connected with cattle breeding and agriculture. The Tatars were no exception. For a long time they held the craft of a shepherd in high esteem. The Tatar holiday Khydyrlez, celebrated in early May, is full of pastoral traditions. In ancient times, this celebration was especially revered and celebrated, as a rule, for two or three days.

As a ritual on this holiday, there must be the making of special bread - kalakaya, which is baked in hot ashes. The main festivities on the occasion of Hydyrlez take place in the evening. A traditional element for these celebrations is bonfires, over which both adults and children jump. On Khydyrlez, it is customary for the Tatars to begin spring cattle-breeding work, which once again refers to the ancient occupation of this people. It is worth saying that this celebration is also very popular among the related Gagauz people.

Sabantuy

Not a single celebration is known outside the republic as well as Sabantuy - a Tatar holiday dedicated to the beginning of agricultural work. Now this celebration is celebrated on June 23, but in ancient times the date was chosen by the elders of individual villages. Shortly before the start of the holiday, children went to the guests asking them to give them treats. The kids brought the collected food home, and there the female half of the family prepared treats from it for the morning table. Particular attention was paid to festive porridge; this ritual was called “Rook porridge”. After breakfast they started holiday events, the first of which is the collection of eggs by children. These eggs were then painted in different colors. In the houses they baked buns, pretzels, and small balls of dough - baursaks.

The main celebrations should take place in squares (in Tatar - “Maidans”). One of the most famous competitions is sash wrestling, kuresh. At the same time, running competitions take place, where all participants are divided into age groups. The competition ends with races.

Nowadays, Sabantuy is a Tatar holiday, which has received the status of the main national celebration of Tatarstan. It is celebrated not only in villages, but also in the squares of large cities. Talent competitions among singers and dancers also began to be held.

Zhyen

Traditional holidays of the Tatar people most often have a rationale associated with the beginning of one or another stage in agricultural processes. Zhyen is no exception - a celebration marking the completion of work in the field and the beginning of hay cutting. In ancient times, Zhyen was celebrated after the return home of the elders of Tatar villages, who came home after kurultai (general meetings of the leadership of various Tatar communities). However, over time, the tradition of this celebration has changed. Residents of some villages were invited to others by their neighbors. The guests brought gifts with them: food, jewelry, crafts made of wood and metal, fabric products, and went to the celebration on carts painted for a special occasion. A new dinner was served for each person who arrived. The general dinner began in the full presence of all guests.

Zhyen can also be called a kind of holiday for brides and grooms. According to Tatar tradition, there are very few celebrations at which both boys and girls could freely communicate with each other. Zhyen is one of these holidays. On mass celebrations young people tried to find a soul mate, and their parents, in turn, also tried to find a worthy match for their children.

Salamat

Among traditional holidays Tatarstan, celebrated in the fall, the most notable is Salamat - a celebration dedicated to the end of the harvest. The holiday got its name from the main treat of the festive table, salamata porridge. It was made from wheat flour and cooked in milk. This dish was made by the female part of the family, while the male half invited relatives and friends to visit. Then everyone gathered for festive table, where, in addition to porridge, there were dishes from those products that were collected. Everyone was given tea as a treat after meals.

Ramadan

The culture of Tatarstan, as has already become obvious, is closely intertwined with Islam. So residents of the region consider it their religious duty to fast during the ninth, holy month of the Muslim calendar, called Ramadan.

Fasting is one of the many pillars of Islam. In fact, this month is nothing more than a period for the self-purification of the believer, both physically and spiritually. Fasting (or soum) involves abstaining from eating food, liquids, drinking alcohol, smoking, and intimate contacts. The prohibition on this lasts from dawn to dusk of each day of the holy month. All of these measures should push the believer to renounce sinful intentions and evil plans.

All adult and healthy Muslims, regardless of gender, are required to observe soum. Only travelers, as well as women (due to menstruation or breastfeeding), can receive relief from fasting. To repay the indulgence, they must somehow help another fasting person. Tatar traditions honor fasting. Ramadan ends large-scale holiday called Eid al-Adha.

Eid al Adha

The next month after Ramadan is Shawwal. Its first day is the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, a celebration of the end of fasting. On this day, the believer finally awaits such a long-awaited breaking of the fast after a grueling fast. Like other religious Tatar holidays, Eid al-Fitr represents, first of all, one of the stages of self-purification for the believer and contributes to the formation of strong family ties. On this day, it is customary to gather as one large family and spend time like this from morning to evening, because according to ancient Muslim beliefs, the souls of deceased relatives also come to this meeting.

In general, the holiday is marked with a very joyful tone, everyone has hopes that Eid al-Fitr will bring them happiness and prosperity for the whole next year. On the day of breaking the fast, various entertainment events are supposed to be organized, and fairs with active trade are held in cities.

Eid al-Adha

Tatar holidays cannot be adequately described without mentioning such a celebration as Kurban Bayram. It is celebrated annually from the 10th to the 13th day of the Muslim month of Dhul-Hijjah. It is based on the end of the Hajj - the sacred Islamic pilgrimage to religious shrines. This holiday involves sacrifices for the sake of Allah. Kurban Bayram is the largest religious celebration not only in Tatarstan, but throughout the Muslim world.

This holiday goes back to the biography from the Koran of one of the prophets - Ibrahim. According to legend, one day the Almighty prepared a test for him: as proof of his love for him, Ibrahim was obliged to sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail, to heaven. Ibrahim was unshakable in his determination to fulfill this order, and therefore the Almighty, believing in the intentions of the prophet and not wanting the death of his son, allowed Ismail to be left alive and an animal to be sacrificed in his place.

Since then, Muslims, in honor of Ibrahim’s feat on Eid al-Adha, have performed the ritual of slaughtering an animal. The meaning of this ritual is to follow the example of one of the most famous religious prophets, who, in the name of love for the Almighty, was ready to make the greatest sacrifice. The meat of the animal after the offering is usually divided into three parts. One goes to the suffering, the other goes to the family of the believer, and every Muslim can keep the third for himself.

"Born by the Sun"

December 25th is a special day in terms of Tatar traditions. On this day, Nardugan is celebrated (translated from Tatar - “born of the sun”), which, like Novruz Bayram, can be considered another New Year's holiday. This is primarily a youth celebration. The main element of the holiday is traditional dances and songs. Young people, as usual, go from house to house, where, with the permission of the owners, these very festive numbers are presented to them. The dance part consists of several cycles: greetings, thanks to the hosts, fortune-telling dances, farewells. A special part of the celebrations should be a costume performance. Through dances and songs, young people tried in every possible way to appease the evil spirits - the devils. According to all sorts of beliefs, the outcome of the next agricultural cycle depended entirely on these same devils, so if you please them, they will not interfere with the harvest. To do this, they performed dances such as line dance, sheep dance, and dog dance. These rituals still exist today in some Tatar villages.

Public holidays

Tatarstan in our time is an integral subject of the Russian Federation. However, this region has long laid claim to self-government and independence. Having lost its sovereignty in 1552, it became part of the Moscow State, which later transformed into the Russian Empire. In the state, these lands were simply called the Kazan province; there was no talk of any hints about renaming them to Tatarstan.

Only in 1920 was it separated into the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. On August 30, 1990, an attempt was made to gain independence: on this day, the Supreme Council of the TASSR decided to declare the state sovereignty of the republic.

However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this region decided to remain part of the Russian Federation as one of its subjects - the Republic of Tatarstan. However, since then August 30 has been celebrated in Tatarstan as the Day of the Formation of the Republic. This date is a national day off and the main state holiday of the region. Other Tatar holidays at the state level coincide with all-Russian ones - these are Victory Day, International Women's Day, Workers' Solidarity Day, Defender of the Fatherland Day.

Unique traditions

To sum up, one can only be amazed at the diversity of Tatar culture. In fact, everything is intertwined in it: folk experience, historical memory, religious influence and modern events. It is unlikely that you will meet another such people with such a variety of holidays. WITH last statement There is no need to argue - where else can you celebrate as many as three times? So there is only one conclusion: Tatar culture deserves to flourish and be passed on to younger generations.

6 main holidays in the Crimean Tatar calendar

The basis of the anthropological type is made up of representatives of the Caucasian race; some Crimean Tatars have Mongoloid features. The language belongs to the Oguz-Kypchak branch of the Kipchak group - the Turkic family of languages. They profess Sunni Islam.
The people were formed as a result of consolidation (based on the use of the Turkic language, the adoption of Islam) and synthesis of Turkicized and Islamized non-Turkic tribes (descendants of the Tauro-Scythians, Gotalans, Byzantines, etc.) with Turkic tribes (descendants of the Turko-Bulgars, Pechenegs, Kipchaks, etc.). Thus, as a result of a complex historical process in the IV-XVI centuries. the ethnic core of the Crimean Tatars was formed. Representatives of each group contributed to the formation of family rituals and calendar holidays.

Rarely does a Muslim nation boast such an abundance of national and religious holidays. Among the Crimean Tatars, 6 dates a year are especially revered.
Yil Gejesi (that is, New Year)
Crimean Muslims celebrate it on December 22, the winter solstice. It symbolizes the arrival of winter. This is a family holiday that does not have complex rituals. Southerners call it Kantar Day (that is, Libra Day).
Families make special dishes for Yil Gejesi: white halva and pies with rice and meat, with an egg in the center. And before the evening family dinner, each family member tries to discreetly smear the face of relatives with soot from under the cauldron.
After the meal, when darkness falls, the boys put on their outerwear inside out and in a crowd they go to the nearest houses to “carol”, loudly shouting at the same time “Those who treated us will have a boy, and those who do not treat us will have a bald girl!” House owners give children sweets and nuts.


Another ritual of this holiday is a coal given by a guy to a girl he likes. If a girl accepts coal, the guy can send matchmakers to her parents.

Navrez

This is the day of all farmers, which is celebrated on March 20 or 21. It announces the beginning of spring and the first day of the year according to already eastern calendar, symbolizes the beginning of a new agricultural season.
It is now customary for all Turkic peoples to celebrate this day, and the Crimean Tatars have been celebrating it since ancient times.
The main version of the origin of this holiday says that when in ancient times the Turks were driven out by their enemies from their native lands, they for a long time they were sad and forced to live in sadness in the mountains, until one day a warrior-blacksmith showed them the way home. But an iron ore mountain lay on their road. And only by completely melting it, the Turks were able to return to their native land and marked this as the beginning of their new life and a new day (nav is translated as “new”, and rez is translated as “day”).
This holiday consists of several stages:
1. Conducted old year. The housewives are putting the house in order, the men are preparing to plow the land, the boys are preparing themselves a goat costume (they put on fur coats turned inside out, sew a tail to the back) and make a mask. Housewives bake meat pies and cookies shaped like a twisted horn.
In the evening, large fires are lit near the houses and boys jump over them. And when it gets dark, they put on their goat masks, the girls take bouquets of snowdrops - the children go to their acquaintances and friends to congratulate everyone on this holiday, the owners give sweets to the little guests. Singing a song about a goat, the children jokingly try to get into the house and steal the birthday cake, and the hostess also jokingly drives them away.
2. On the eve of this day, the girls prepare for fortune telling.
3. Welcome the new agricultural year. At the end of morning prayers, elderly Muslims visit cemeteries and clean the graves of their deceased loved ones. During the day, children go to the houses of friends and relatives, congratulate them on the New Year and sing songs.
On the same day, the men, going out into the fields, give the respected elder the right to lay the first furrow of the year, thus beginning plowing.

Hydyrlez

This holiday is celebrated in the first week of May, when the first ear of grain appears on the field. Holiday of economy and social activities.
Muslims tidy up their utility rooms, fumigate the barn with smoke, pour grain on the window sills, and spray the entrance to the barn with milk.


Residents gather together in a clearing where there is a hillock. It is considered necessary to wear green clothes or at least have something green on yourself. Girls ride on swings, boys and men compete with each other in fighting competitions, and women shower each other with greenery. Then they roll the bread down the mountain. If it fell upside down, the harvest this year will be good, but if not, the year will not be productive.

Derviza

Celebrated during the autumn solstice, September 22. The celebration necessarily takes place near a sacred place with the sacrifice of an animal (in Crimea this is a ram).
Before the celebration dear Old man must throw a stone tied to his belt at the side, saying at the same time: “So that everything bad this year goes away like this stone.”


At the celebration, singers, dancers, poets perform, sing ditties, and compete in national wrestling. After this holiday, cattle are returned from summer pastures.

Eid al-Fitr

One of the 5 obligatory conditions observed by Muslims is fasting. It begins in the month of Ramadan and lasts from the first day of the new moon for the next 30 days. There are a number of restrictions for Muslims at this time: it is forbidden to eat, drink liquids, smoke, use foul language, engage in intimacy, etc. All this is allowed only in the dark: after sunset at night and two hours before dawn.
“Ramadan” (Ramadan) is translated as “burn,” that is, Muslims believe that during this fast one can cleanse oneself of all one’s sins and burn them. The doors of heaven open at this time, and the doors of hell are closed for those who fast.
In addition to fasting, Muslims must also perform good deeds during this period: invite those who are fasting to their place to break the fast and feed them dinner, feed the hungry, help the suffering, etc.


The Eid al-Fitr holiday begins at the end of fasting. After the festive prayer, Crimean Tatars distribute alms to the suffering, the poor, orphans, the homeless, and lonely old people. On this day, everyone who was in a quarrel asks for forgiveness from each other and makes peace.
4 days before the holiday, the Crimean Tatars begin to put everything in order - men visit and clean the graves of deceased relatives, women clean the house, begin to prepare holiday dishes, clean up, buy food for children new shoes and clothes, sweets. On the eve of the holiday, everyone must wash themselves, put themselves in order, and put on new things. Neighbors exchange holiday dishes. You should definitely feed your dog these dishes. Young women should serve festive coffee to guests.

Eid al-Fitr holiday

Celebrated on the 10th day in the month of Zulhija. The celebration lasts 3 days. One of the main Muslim holidays.
On this day, a devout Muslim slaughters or asks another Muslim to slaughter a bull, goat, sheep or camel (in Crimea, as throughout Russia, this is most often a ram). The meat of the sacrificial animal is then divided into parts - 2/3 is distributed to the poor, lonely old people and orphans, and 1/3 is left for their family and all guests are treated to soup from this meat. Thus, Muslims atone for all their sins and ask Allah for blessings for their deeds.


Crimean Tatars prepare for the sacrifice several days in advance - they put their house, barn, yard, and themselves in order.
The ritual of sacrifice usually takes place after the morning holiday prayer on the day of Kurban Bayram, but according to Sharia it is allowed to do this on the next two days. The sacrificial animal must be at least 1 year old and without any defects. Before slaughter, a special prayer is said.
Then Muslims exchange congratulations, visit the graves of deceased relatives and go to aziz (holy places).