Tatarstan is one of the most distinctive regions of the Russian Federation. The culture of the region is of interest both within the country and in the rest of the world. Undoubtedly, there are separate Tatar holidays that are unique. Like the culture of all these people, they are of particular interest.
Traditions of the region
In Russia it is still difficult to find such a subject who would so carefully guard his national memory and pass it on from generation to generation. Tatar traditions originate in hoary antiquity, intertwined with religion, they give the very original culture as a result.
As examples of things peculiar only to Tatarstan, one can name special rites at the birth of a child (includes a whole set of successive rituals - ebilek, avyzlandyru, babai munchasy, babai ashy), courtship of the groom for the bride (this is where he became famous on throughout the country such a ritual as kalym), a wedding (this ritual took place in several stages and could last up to six months).
Faith and rituals
Tatars are longtime followersIslamic religion. Islam has firmly penetrated into the very essence of this nation, thereby having a huge impact on its self-consciousness. Islamic traditions are still alive today, therefore it is not surprising that the Tatar national holidays of a religious nature are actively celebrated today. To designate 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 enjoy special reverence.
Spring holidays
Spring is a special time in the life of the Tatar people. This time of the year always brings with it the 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 clear that quite large Tatar folk holidays are celebrated 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 that a thaw brings with it is the melting of ice from the reservoirs, so such an event is usually celebrated as the first victory of spring over the winter that has been staying away.
Spring New Year
Today, perhaps, the most important holiday of spring is Novruz Bayram - a celebration of the spring equinox. In fact, on this day, according to the lunar Muslim calendar, the real New Year begins. In Tatarstan, this day is celebrated on a large scale, it is customary to celebrate it in the circle of several families, while on the table there must be dishes from beans, peas,rice. For the whole people, these celebrations are special, they are held 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 has a family character, helping to strengthen family ties.
Khidyrlez
The ancient culture of many peoples is somehow connected with cattle breeding and agriculture. The Tatars were no exception. From time immemorial, they have held in high esteem the craft of a shepherd. The Tatar holiday Hydyrlez, celebrated in early May, is full of cattle breeding traditions. In ancient times, this celebration was especially revered and celebrated, as a rule, for two or three days.
As rituals on this holiday, the production of special bread - kalakaya, which is baked in hot ashes, must be present. The main festivities on the occasion of Hidirlez take place in the evening. Bonfires are a traditional element for these celebrations, over which both adults and children jump. It is customary for Tatars to begin spring cattle breeding work on Hydyrlez, which once again refers to the ancient occupation of this people. It is worth saying that this celebration is also very popular among the Crimean Tatars and their kindred Gagauz.
Sabantuy
Not a single celebration is known outside the republic as Sabantuy is a Tatar holiday dedicated to the beginning of agricultural work. Now this celebration is celebrated on June 23, but in ancient times the elders-aksakals of individual villages chose the date. Shortly before the start of the holiday, the children went to the guests with a request to give them treats. The kids brought the collected productshome, and already there the female half of the family prepared treats from them for the morning table. Particular attention was paid to the festive porridge, this ceremony was called "Rook porridge". After breakfast, festive events began, the first of which was the collection of eggs by children. Next, these eggs were dyed in different colors. In the houses they baked buns, pretzels, small dough balls - baursaks.
The main celebrations should take place in the squares (in Tatar - "Maidans"). One of the most famous competitions is sash wrestling, kuresh. At the same time, running competitions are held, where all participants are divided into age groups. The competition ends with jumps.
Today, Sabantuy is a Tatar holiday, which has received the status of the main national celebration of Tatarstan. It is celebrated not only in the villages, but also on the squares of large cities. Talent competitions among singers and dancers have also begun.
Jiyeon
Traditional holidays of the Tatar people most often have a justification associated with the beginning of a particular stage in the agricultural processes. Zhyen is no exception - a celebration on the occasion of the completion of work in the field and the beginning of hay mowing. In ancient times, Zhyen was celebrated after the return home of the elders of the Tatar villages, who came home after kurultai (general meetings of the elites from various Tatar communities). However, over time, the tradition of this celebration has changed. Residents of some villages were invited to their neighbors in others. The guests brought gifts with them: food, jewelry, wood and metal crafts,fabrics, on wagons painted on a special occasion, were sent to the celebration. For each visitor, a new festive table was laid. The general dinner began with the full presence of all guests.
Jyen can also be called a kind of holiday for brides and grooms. According to the Tatar tradition, there are very few celebrations where both boys and girls could freely communicate with each other. Zhyen is one of such holidays. At mass festivities, 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 the traditional holidays of Tatarstan, celebrated in autumn, Salamat is the most remarkable - a celebration dedicated to the end of the harvest. The holiday got its name from the main treat of the solemn table, salamata porridge. It was prepared from wheat flour and boiled 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 at the festive table, where, in addition to porridge, there were dishes from those products that had just been collected. As a treat after a meal, everyone was supposed to have tea.
Ramadan
The culture of Tatarstan, as has already become obvious, implies a close interweaving with Islam. So the inhabitants of the region consider it their religious duty to fast during the ninth, holy month of the Muslim calendar, which is called Ramadan.
Fasting is one of the many pillars of Islam. In fact, this monththere is nothing but a period for self-purification of the believer, both physically and spiritually. Fasting (or soum) involves abstaining from food, liquids, drinking alcohol, smoking, intimate contacts. The ban on this lasts from dawn to dusk of each day of the holy month. All these measures should push the believer to renounce sinful intentions and bad intentions.
All adult and he althy Muslims, regardless of gender, are required to observe soum. Only travelers, as well as women (due to menstruation or breastfeeding), can receive relief in fasting. As a recompense for indulgence, they must somehow help another fasting person. Tatar traditions honor fasting. Ramadan ends with a large-scale holiday called Eid al-Fitr.
Eid al-Fitr
The next month after Ramadan is Shawwal. Its first day is the holiday of Uraza Bairam, a celebration on the occasion of the end of the fast. On this day, the believer finally waits for such a long-awaited conversation after an exhausting fast. Like other religious Tatar holidays, Eid al-Fitr is primarily 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 big family and spend time like this from morning to evening, because according to ancient Muslim beliefs, the souls of dead relatives also come to this meeting.
In general, the holiday is marked by a very joyful tone, everyone has hopes thatEid al-Fitr will bring them happiness and prosperity for the whole next year. On the day of breaking the fast, it is necessary to organize various entertainment events, and fairs with active trade are held in cities.
Eid al-Adha
Tatar holidays cannot be adequately described without mentioning such a celebration as Eid al-Adha. It is celebrated annually from the 10th to the 13th day of the Muslim month of Zul Hijjah. It is based on the end of the Hajj - the sacred Islamic pilgrimage to religious shrines. This holiday implies sacrifices for the sake of Allah. Eid al-Adha is the largest religious celebration not only in Tatarstan, but throughout the Muslim world.
This holiday goes to the biography from the Koran of one of the prophets - Ibrahim. According to legend, once 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 wishing the death of his offspring, allowed Ismail to be left alive, and an animal to be sacrificed instead.
Since then, Muslims, in honor of the feat of Ibrahim on Eid al-Adha, perform the rite 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 for the greatest sacrifice. The meat of the animal after the offering is usually divided into three parts. One goes to the suffering, the other to the familya believer, and every Muslim can keep a third.
Born of the Sun
December 25 is a special day in terms of Tatar traditions. On this day, Nardugan is celebrated (translated from Tatar - “born by the sun”), which, like Novruz Bayram, can be considered another New Year 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, farewell. Costume performance should become a special part of the celebrations. In dances and songs, young people tried in every possible way to appease the evil spirits - shaitans. According to all sorts of beliefs, the outcome of the next agricultural cycle completely depended on these same shaitans, so if you please them, they will not interfere with the harvest. For this, they performed such dances as linear, sheep dance, dog dance. These rites 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 claimed self-government and independence. Having lost its sovereignty in 1552, the Kazan Khanate became part of the Muscovite state, later transformed into the Russian Empire. In the state, these lands were simply called the Kazan province, there was no talk of any hints of renaming them to Tatarstan.
Only in 1920The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was spun off as part of 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 of the state level coincide with the all-Russian ones - this is Victory Day, International Women's Day, Workers' Solidarity Day, Defender of the Fatherland Day.
Unique traditions
Summing up, one can only be surprised at the diversity of Tatar culture. In fact, everything is intertwined in it: folk experience, historical memory, religious influence and contemporary events. It is hardly possible to meet another such people with such a diversity of holidays. There is no need to argue with the last statement - where else in Russia can the New Year be celebrated as many as three times? Therefore, there is only one conclusion: the Tatar culture deserves prosperity and subsequent transmission to younger generations.
