Written by Jaden Parker
In Mongolia, the people celebrate their nomadic civilization through a festival called Naadam. The entire holiday occurs from July 11th to the 15th, but the main festivities are during the first three days. During Naadam, three traditional games are played: wrestling, horse racing, and archery. Apart from these games, there are features of Khöömei (overtone singing), tunes played on a morin khuur (fiddle), and people partaking in the Biyelgee dance.
The Mongolian nomads practice pastoralism, so it only makes sense that their celebratory games are representative of their connection to animals. For the winners of the games, also called Eriin Gurvan Naadam (“Three Manly Sports”), a ritual praise song is dedicated to them. Participants can be men, women, and children! Held in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, Naadam was started to celebrate the country’s history and culture. When it first started, these games occurred before and after major battles. Recently, knuckle bone shooting was added as a fourth sport.
To start the ceremony, nine white banners are carried from the Government Palace to the middle of the Central Stadium. The first game is wrestling. It’s a combination of traditional sports and eagle dance, or long song. Only men can participate, and their costumes consist of a four-sided hat, a Zodog (shoulder vest), a Shuudag (snug shorts), a cloak, and traditional boots. Wrestlers represent their soum (regional village).
The next game is horse racing. Every child born in the countryside learns to ride a horse from three to five years of age! So, jockeys are typically five to thirteen in this game. The children sing Giingoo, a mantra for horse jockeys before and after racing. The final game is archery, which can be broken down into three different categories.
The first two categories are practice rounds. The Uriankhai is a 30/40 meter practice for men, and the Buriad is a 30/45 meter practice for both men and women—though it is typically women in the majority who attend. The final category is the one people win prizes from. Called Khalka Kharvaa, men shoot the farthest away (75m) with 40 arrows. Women shoot 20 arrows from 60 meters. Children shoot the closest from the target.
As previously mentioned, other festivities occur during the week of celebration:
- Deeltei Mongol (Mongolian Traditional Costume Festival)—10th
- Uchirtai Gurvan Tolgoi (Three Dramatic Character opera)
- Night of Ulaanbaatar (Cultural performance)—11th
- Mongolian Dance Festival–12th
- Morin Khuur (Horse-headed Fiddle Festival)—13th
- Ulaanbaatar Swing Night (Jazz show)—14th
If you happen to attend this year’s festival and/or future celebrations, you will find local bazaars surrounding the stadium where you can buy everything from food to clothing to jewelry. While there, you must try Khuushuur, which is the fried dumpling main dish of the Naadam festival.
Any questions and concerns you may have about the festival itself can be answered here.
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