All in all, Kazakhs form a traditional society that cherishes its old customs. Most of the widely used rituals pertain to the three main stages of a person’s life: birth, family formation, and death. The rituals vary slightly from one region of Kazakhstan to another, but generally have similar meanings and goals. All are the result of fusion between early pre-Islamic Turkic beliefs and more recently acquired Muslim traditions.
The influence of tradition changed considerably during the Soviet era, when many customs were forcibly suppressed. New celebrations based on Communist ideology were imposed, and most of today’s formal national holidays can be traced back to this period. After independence yet another set of celebrations became part of Kazakhstani life, with some Soviet holidays having been transformed and a few older Kazakh and Islamic traditions revived.
Most Kazakh traditions are linked to the arrival of a newborn baby—an event full of old superstitions and beliefs. Nowadays these have mainly symbolic meaning, yet they are widely followed. Pregnant women, for example, try to adhere to a traditional set of rules that include prohibitions on eating certain types of food (camel, rabbit, and fish), cutting hair, going out at night alone, and taking part in burial ceremonies. A woman in labor lets her hair fall loose and removes all jewelry—a rule still strictly enforced in maternity hospitals. If the labor takes too long female relatives gather and boil meat, in the belief that a baby should be born sooner than meat is cooked. This is called zharys kazan, or “competing with a cauldron.”
After the baby is born a celebration among relatives is organized, called Shildekhana, which is sometimes delayed until after the symbolic forty-day threshold. During these forty days the baby is not expected to be widely seen, and remains nameless. Traditionally it was believed that a newborn infant is attached to the underworld and can easily die. At morning prayer on the fortieth day the child is finally named by the eldest person in the family. He either reads aloud from the Koran or says a simple Bismillah (“In the name of God,” in Arabic), and whispers the name three times into the child’s ear. This is followed by another ceremony, in which the child is washed in a bowl with forty spoonfuls of water purified by silver coins and jewelry, and his or her hair and nails are cut. The silver is divided among the women taking part in the ritual, and a special blessing by the elderly is given to the child before all those gathered.
When a child makes his or her first attempts to walk, another old ritual, tusau kesu (“cutting the nets”) is observed. A specially prepared intertwined black and white thread is tied to the child’s ankles, and a guest chosen by the parents then cuts these bonds, saying, “Fly like the wind; be a man!” The child is then encouraged to take a few steps over a piece of white material symbolizing a clean and open “road of life.”
In the case of boys another important ritual is observed at the age of five or seven, when the time for circumcision has come. This could be the only Muslim tradition that was not abandoned during Soviet times.
Each of these occasions is usually celebrated with a lavish toi (banquet), an obligatory accompaniment to most rituals observed by modern Kazakhs. This usually entails sacrificing an animal—usually a sheep—and asking for a bata, or blessing, from the elderly. The blessing is given in Kazakh, and is accompanied by a recitation of Koranic verses in Arabic if someone able to perform it is present.
There is a strict rule in Kazakh society that marriage partnerships must be made outside one’s own lineage, going back for seven generations. Those with a common paternal ancestor fewer than seven generations away are considered as brother and sister. The rule is less strict on the mother’s side, however, and does not apply to other ethnic groups.
Provided that this “rule of seven fathers” is not broken, people today are free to make their own choice of spouse. Thanks to years of Communist rule, class differences in modern Kazakh society are not great enough to be an insuperable obstacle. In pre-Soviet times, however, the choice was made solely by the groom’s parents long before he reached marriageable age.
Having made the decision to marry, the couple follows the traditional process, which starts with the “asking” stage, or kuda tusu. Matchmakers (zhaushy) go to the prospective bride’s house to obtain general agreement and to set a date for the official visit of the groom’s parents and relatives to settle the dowry (kalym), though nowadays this often has more symbolic value than anything else. If a substantial dowry is paid it is usually given to the newly married couple anyway. Then, on the agreed-upon date, the groom’s family makes the official visit to the bride’s family with the formal proposal of marriage. They come bearing the richest gifts they can afford, which usually include various garments for the bride’s relatives and a bag with expensive sweets, delicacies, and sometimes wine, if the family is not devoutly Muslim. Separate gifts are given to the bride and her mother. In the bride’s case it must be gold earrings. For their part, the bride’s side prepares lavish treats for the guests, entertaining them in the best possible way and often presenting similar gifts.
Finally, the wedding date is set and both sides discuss the couple’s future life. It is usually the responsibility of the groom’s side to provide the newly married couple with their living accommodation. If there is enough room the couple will simply join the groom’s parents, following the ata-balasy rule, mentioned in Chapter 1. Otherwise the groom’s side arranges to provide an apartment or house, which the bride’s side will equip with furniture and essentials.
The wedding itself is usually in two stages. First, the bride’s side gives a banquet, called kyz uzatu. The guests are by and large the bride’s relatives, with a limited delegation from the groom’s side. The purpose is for the bride’s relatives to say farewell to her. Then she is taken to the groom’s parents’ house in the company of his female relatives. From that moment she is considered to be a married woman with a new family of her own. When she leaves her family she must not look back, under any circumstances, as this is regarded as a bad sign, a superstitious belief that she might return to her parents, which would be considered a matter of great shame. “The daughter who comes back is as bad as an enemy,” says an old proverb.
The second and main stage is on the day the couple is officially registered as a married couple and blessed in a mosque by an imam (priest). In towns and cities these ceremonies are followed by a new type of ritual in which the bride and groom are driven around the city for several hours to have their pictures taken at various symbolic points. On this day the groom’s family gives the wedding banquet (uilenu toi), which starts with one of the oldest Kazakh rituals, called betashar, the uncovering of the bride’s face. The ritual starts with a song sung by a bard (zhyrau), who is familiar with the groom’s family, the purpose being to introduce them to the bride. The bard mentions details of their characters and positions. As their names are recited the relatives step forward and offer gifts, or, more commonly, place money into a special bowl that is later presented to the bard. The bride bows every time she hears a name, as a sign of respect. At the end of the ceremony the bard removes the bride’s veil and guests are invited to start the feast.
To spare their families all this lavish expenditure, some young couples just agree to run away, in a semblance of the old bride-kidnapping tradition, but this is not generally regarded as an honorable start to a marriage. In cities, parents may simply meet in a restaurant to agree on the wedding and other arrangements that satisfy both sides. Russian and Slavic families in general also have less strict wedding rituals, either adapting them or simply ignoring them altogether.
Remembrance of the dead is held sacred, and the burial place of ancestors is regarded by every Kazakh as a homeland forever. The burial and mourning of a deceased family member is the most ritualized area of Kazakh traditions.
If a person’s death is imminent, his close relatives should inform others, so that everyone has a chance to say farewell or ask forgiveness for past disagreements. This is called aryzdasu. The dying person tells the family how to distribute his property upon his death, requests a particular burial location, designates someone to prepare his body for its final rites, and gives instructions about the kind of tomb or memorial dome to construct.
The deceased person’s body is kept for three days in a separate room, for in early times Turkic people believed that the soul of the deceased person would remain among the family for two days, departing for heaven on the third. This also gives relatives living in remote places the chance to come for the funeral. During these three days, the body is guarded by senior members of the family, or the closest ones, and a candle is lit at night. Relatives and friends come to express their condolences and offer help. The burial arrangements and all the logistics involved in welcoming the guests are taken care of by relatives of the deceased person. This is one occasion when a Kazakh feels grateful for the tradition of close kinship ties.
On the evening before the funeral, guests are invited for a special dinner, konak asy (“dinner for guests”), served by relatives at the home of the deceased. A sheep must be slaughtered on this day. On the next morning, after having been washed by three to five chosen male relatives, the body is wrapped in white cloth and a rug. A special memorial service, zhanaza, is performed by a mullah (Islamic priest), then the body is brought to the burial site. The grave is no more than chest deep and the vault must face Mecca. The grave is not filled in with earth, but is simply covered with planks or stones.
The burial is followed by a dinner for everyone gathered, with the proceedings opened and concluded by a mullah, who reads a prayer in Arabic. A similar remembrance dinner is served on the fortieth day of mourning, and another after exactly a year. The latter marks the end of the mourning period. A horse, or if necessary a less expensive animal, is slaughtered for the special meals on the day of the funeral and on each of the following memorial occasions.
Kazakhs don’t hide the fact that they are a superstitious nation. There is an old saying, “Kazakhs believe in signs, while signs go twisted and awry.” Superstitions underlie many of the local cultural traditions stemming from early Turkic paganism. For example, you should never leave someone’s house without at least tasting the host’s food—even if you just stepped in for a few minutes to discuss business. If you arrived just as the family was starting to eat, you will be told that you are a truly good man and must share the meal. You should not turn down the invitation, as this might cause suffering in the home. On leaving you will be given a sarkyt, something from the host’s table.
Various actions are said to bring bad luck. Never tread on the threshold, but always step over it with your right foot. Also, beware of greeting anyone across the threshold. Once inside the house you should not turn your, or anyone else’s, shoes upside down (taking off shoes at someone’s home is a must). If you see that a shoe is turned over immediately put it on your foot, or it may cause death.
Some other popular “don’ts,” if ignored, can bring misfortune. Never fake a cry; don’t wipe a table with paper; don’t run in the direction of your or anyone else’s home; don’t sit on a threshold; don’t put your hands on your waist; don’t sleep during sunset, and don’t start a journey on a Tuesday or on the ninth day of a month.
In the countryside, physical sporting contests are a frequent accompaniment to many special occasions. Given the significant value of the horse in the once nomadic Kazakh society, the most popular of all are racing and various horseback competitions.
Horse racing in Kazakh is called baige. It is a rare treat much beloved by the public and is usually organized by wealthy families as part of other festivities, such as a wedding or a circumcision celebration, or by local authorities to mark the anniversary of some historical figure. The prize is announced in advance: it might be a car, or a substantial amount of money.
The most popular type of race covers distances of about thirteen to nineteen miles (21 to 31 km), or even longer. These races are called alaman baige. The number of participating horses is flexible, since the competition is usually held on the open steppe, but they should be more than five years of age. Younger horses have their own races, called kunan baige, over various distances depending on their ages.
Another popular race is kyz kuu (“catch the girl”). Young men on horseback pursue a girl, also on horseback, who gallops off just ahead of them. The horseman who catches her and, on the gallop, kisses her cheek (or, in another version, unties a scarf from her arm) wins the competition.
Known farther south in the region as buzkashi, there is another popular sporting competition that Kazakhs call kokpar. It is a sort of horseback rugby, where two teams of horsemen compete and wrestle to grab a headless goat carcass. The team that succeeds must then throw it across the opposing team’s goal line.
There are eleven official public holidays in Kazakhstan’s current calendar. They are all state holidays, except for Independence Day, which is classified as a national holiday to stress its importance in Kazakhstan’s history. All these days are marked red in the calendar and are official days off work.
Similar to other parts of the former Soviet Union, the favorite of all the festivities are the New Year celebrations, which last for two days. The tradition of welcoming and celebrating the New Year came into people’s lives rather forcefully—as was often the case with the Soviet regime—in the late 1930s, but since it was the only holiday that people were allowed to take, it quickly settled into the Soviet nations’ hearts and minds. The festival’s attributes and decorations resemble those of a Catholic Christmas: a tree, the Russian version of Santa Claus (called Ded Moroz, or Ayaz Ata in Kazakh), gifts, and sweets. Fireworks are also a necessary part of the celebrations. New Year’s Day is generally regarded as a time when families get together; after midnight the younger members usually go out to party till morning.
There are a large number of followers of Russian Orthodox Christianity in Kazakhstan, totalling nearly 25 percent of the population. Orthodox Christmas has been celebrated officially since 2005. It falls on January 7, according to the earlier Julian calendar in use in Russia until 1918.
Celebration of the Orthodox Christmas is fascinating to witness, and has a wonderful atmosphere. The main church service starts at midnight, with bells ringing, people carrying candles, priests chanting, choral music, and the fragrance of myrrh.
Originally called International Working Women’s Day, this is marked on March 8. Once a purely socialist event dedicated to the celebration of socialist women’s political achievements, it was later transformed into a warm and much loved holiday resembling, as someone put it, “a combination of Valentine’s Day and Mothers’ Day.” Everyone gives something to their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sisters, and women are overwhelmed with flowers and small gifts.
This initially Zoroastrian holiday has become a widely celebrated festival in many countries of central and western Asia. Among Kazakhs it has become associated with early Turkic philosophy and nomadic traditions. Forbidden during Soviet times, Nauryz was reinstated in Kazakhstan after the USSR’s collapse. It has now become a festival at which old Kazakh traditions and rituals are coming back to life, giving the nation an opportunity to feel its cultural identity. Once celebrated for a whole month, nowadays Nauryz festivities last for three days, March 21, 22 and 23, coinciding with the vernal equinox. Yurts selling traditional food appear in main squares and streets, along with tents selling handicrafts, stages for traditional singers and dancers to perform their arts, and plenty of loud music.
In homes festive Nauryz tables are laid with seven different dishes. The most important of all is Nauryz kozhe (soup). Each family has its own recipe, but the general rule is to include seven ingredients: water, meat, salt, oil, flour, grain, and fermented milk. These are to represent happiness, luck, wisdom, health, wealth, growth, and the protection of the sky, which, as we saw in an earlier chapter, has been considered sacred from the time of Tengrism.
Nearly a million Kazakhstanis died fighting in the Soviet army against Nazi Germany during the Second World War (also known as the Great Patriotic War in former Soviet lands). There is hardly a family without its sad personal history related to the war and without a relative who was lost in battle. Thus it is no surprise that this is one of the most cherished holidays in Kazakhstan, just as it is in many other former Soviet Union republics. Though veterans are fewer in number every year, and criticism mounts over the policy and tactics used by Soviet leaders of the time, this doesn’t seem to change public attitudes toward the May 9 commemoration. (The surrender document was signed late in the evening on May 8, 1945, thus on May 9 by Moscow time.)
These are the most controversial holidays in the calendar. Astana Day, on July 6, coincides with the president’s birthday. It is a big, lavish party for the city, with lots of entertaining events, concerts, performances, art exhibitions, and parades—a party well worth joining. The celebrations are widely broadcast through several TV channels and radio stations across the country. Much of the controversy relates to the amount spent on organizing the event, which often includes exorbitant fees paid to foreign singers and celebrities.
This is one of the two religious holidays recognized officially in Kazakhstan, the other being Orthodox Christmas. Both were introduced not long after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The date of Kurban Ait (Festival of Sacrifice), or Kurban Bairam, as it is known in the wider Muslim world, change according to the lunar calendar. It is one of the most significant and most devoutly observed Muslim holidays. On the day a Muslim should sacrifice an animal and distribute two-thirds of the meat to the poor, with the rest going toward the holiday meal. One person can sacrifice a sheep, and a group of up to ten people can sacrifice one head of cattle. The animal should be young and without physical defects. The festival commemorates the sacrifice of a ram by Ibrahim (Abraham) in place of his son.
This is the only holiday in the country’s calendar that is officially classified as “national” rather than “state,” meaning that it has utmost importance in the nation’s history. It is a celebration of the country’s independence from the Soviet Union that was declared on December 16, 1991. It is also a day to commemorate victims of the 1986 demonstrations known as the December Events (described in Chapter 1). Official events include award ceremonies to the nation’s most outstanding artists, athletes, scientists, and others. There is no tradition of big family dinners, however, as people prefer to go out, gathering in the main squares for various performances and concerts. Two days—December 16 and 17—are official days off.
This is a Soviet tradition that is not massively popular, and yet it has survived to this day in some shape or form. Subbotnik—from the Russian word subbota, meaning Saturday—is a day of unpaid voluntary labor, usually on a Saturday. It is associated with post-winter cleaning such as sweeping streets, collecting garbage, and washing windows. People also plant trees and lawns. Subbotniks are usually organized by city authorities and supported by municipal companies and their workers. For private sector office workers this day simply means an opportunity to clean their desks. Some modern subbotniks can be charitable, raising money to support disabled or old people, orphanages, and children with HIV or cancer.
