National traditions of Kazakhstan. Habits, mentality and the way of living

In the previous century, traditions and customs of Kazakh people were under attack as something outdated and unnecessary. Nowadays, these traditions are carefully cherished and restored. Respect for elders is particularly strong among the Kazakhs. Family is exceptionally important to them. In accordance with an old tradition, not only mother and father were raising their sons. For example, the eldest son was always sent to the grandparents, while the youngest son stayed with parents to become the future helper of the family. The destiny of the middle son was to become a protector, so the middle son was sent to master archery and fighting.

Tusau Kesu is an important holiday in every Kazakh family. Translated as “Cutting the rope”, this holiday is dedicated to the first steps that a toddler makes. On this day, the eldest person in an aul visits the family to cut the ropes attached to the toddler’s legs. The day when a child tries horseback riding for the first time is also an important event. Circumcision of boys is a ritual performed in accordance with Islam customs. It is performed when boys become five years old. In the past, mullah performed circumcisions in a yurt. Nowadays, people visit local hospitals for this purpose. Once the ritual is finished, parents are obliged to make a holiday for their kid.

Wedding is one of the key events for every family, so no wonder why weddings are widely celebrated in the country. Many traditions of the past have been alive through centuries. For example, people, whose ancestors were the same family seven generations ago, are not allowed to get married. Because of this, the Kazakhs always keep a record of at least seven generations of their ancestors. In the past, young people married early – as soon as they became 15 years old. In accordance with local beliefs, early marriage prevented young people from reckless and inappropriate decisions. By the steppe law, the bride and groom didn’t see each other until the wedding day, but their parents had to be friends. The tradition of ransom for the bride is still alive even in big megalopolises. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Before the wedding day, all the female friends of the bride visit her home and organize something like a bridal shower. Girls play, tell fortune, eat, sing, and dance. All other relatives and friends arrive on the next day. Weddings are always crowded and widely celebrated. No wedding is possible without an official representative from the mosque. The Kazakhs have guests not only for weddings. Local people are incredibly hospitable, so it is sometimes virtually impossible to fail to visit their house as a guest. In the past, guests even had a higher status than hosts in their house. Hosts were obliged to serve guests and even give them the items they liked.

When a guest enters a local house, hosts offer the best seat to the guest and treat him or her with the best food they have. First of all, hosts offer dairy products, such as Ayran or Kumis. After that, it is tea time – locals serve tea with milk or cream. As a rule, tea is served with raisins, Baursak, and Kurt. After that, hosts treat guests with various dishes, such as meat, sausages, flatbreads, and the main dish. When putting meat on the plates, the eldest people get their food first and the youngest – last. Of course, not all traditions are strictly followed these days. For example, lamb head is not always served to guests nowadays. In the past, it was mandatory. However, this doesn’t mean that the Kazakhs have become less hospitable.

There are several traditions regarding food in the country. For example, when local people prepare meat (horse meat in particular) for winter, they usually invite their friends and family members to enjoy a feast. There is even a festival dedicated to the national food in Kazakhstan – Toikazan. This is a popular annual event. During Toikazan, best chefs cook traditional Kazakh dishes and compete with each other, trying to offer the most delicious food. Erulik is an old tradition that only Kazakh people living in the steppe still follow. Elders organize Erulik in order to invite newcomers and help them to adapt to life in a new settlement.

Kazakh people are passionate about tea. This is the main drink for them. Every meal starts with tea and ends with tea in the country. Kazakh people prefer to drink strong tea with milk or cream. Quite an interesting fact – even in India, the country that has deep traditions for growing and drinking tea, tea consumption is less than in Kazakhstan. The average tea consumption in India is approximately 600 grams per person. In Kazakhstan, the consumption is twice bigger.