The Tsam dance (mask dance) is an assembly of religious dancing by wrathful deities. The characters of tsam dancing are the fanciful figures of Buddhist disciples in their dreamy meditations. The dancing characters seek to drive out evils by their outer appearances and jumping. The dancing is not performed on any fixed day but rather […]
Mongulai
Festival of the Mongolian Camel Herders
The original birthplace of the Mongolian Camels(Bactrian) was the great Gobi. Mongolians domesticated wild camels and bred them. Since then many centuries have passed. The Bactrian camels of Mongolia are the best of the herd of camels. The chest of the Mongolian Bactrian camel is deep and broad; these animals have two humps and their […]
What is Naadam Festival? | Three Manly Sports of Mongolia
Naadam The most important celebration for the Mongolian people since ancient times was and is the traditional three manly sports (naadam). During this important celebration there is wrestling among men, which tests men’s strength and wit. Archery tests the skills of marksmanship. The horse race tests the racers’ swiftness and hardiness. They are performed according […]
Traditional Knowledge of Genealogical Inheritance
Mongolians carefully maintain knowledge of their genealogies, which can stretch back to ancient times. Accounts of the descent of their relatives and children help to define families as a unique social unit and as a site for a process of biological and social inheritance. That is why they carefully examine the genealogical and intellectual character […]
New Ger-Warming Ceremony
New Ger-Warming Feasts There is a saying: “A hearth starts from the smoke of the trivet, a ger starts from a hut.” Erecting a new ger is part of the marriage ceremony. Some families renew their gers. This is very common among the people. During the ceremony dedicated to the raising of a new ger, […]
Naming and Giving Ablution to a Child
Mongolians consider childbirth as a good omen. We say that when a child is born, its food is predestined, that is why childbirth is an exceptional event in our life. So we perform an ablution to the child in order to honor the one who has adapted the form of a precious human body and […]
Birthday Celebration
One of the traditional ceremonies among the Mongolian customs is the birthday celebration. This celebration can be divided into two types. One is a child’s birthday celebration, another is aged people’s birthday celebration. The one year birthday celebration is arranged as a feast among the child’s parents, their relatives, and close friends. In recent times, […]
Mongolian Wedding
Wedding Ceremony The Mongolian wedding ceremony is basically a confirmation of the marriage of a young couple and a chance to wish them a happy life together. This is also a chance to show the high trust in them from their parents, relatives, and communities. All those who attend the wedding ceremony wish […]
How to Greet in Mongolian Language
The customs Mongols have for greeting and showing respect toward others is traditionally quite rich. When guests arrive at someone’s ger they say nokhoi khori (hold the dog) before getting off the horse. Thereafter, when someone comes out and holds the dog, the guest takes his khet khutga (knife) from his belt and gets off […]