These people have a couple of festivals and holidays throughout the year that reflects this unique way of living, and we’ll tell you about the ones you can’t miss when visiting Mongolia.
Naadam Holiday Festival
The most famous of all holidays and festivals in Mongolia is certainly Naadam – the traditional national holiday and celebration where the people express their unique Mongolian nomadic culture.
The festival is a combination of arts and sports held in the middle of July, every year for a total of five days. Each city, town, and community hold their own Naadam, and the biggest one is naturally the one in the capital Ulaanbaatar.
The festival is also known as ‘Eriin gurvan naadam,’ which translates to ‘the three games of men.’ It stands for the three traditional sports in which people compete for every Naadam – Mongolian wrestling, archery, and horse racing.
The Lunar New Year
The second most important celebration of the year is the Mongolian Lunar New Year or as the Mongolians call it – Tsagaan Sar. It’s usually celebrated all across the country at the end of January or the beginning of February.
The holiday is the time when families visit each other’s homes, where they eat and spend time together.
The usual Lunar New Year feast includes mutton and horse meat, several dairy products, dumplings, rice with curds, and a bunch of cookies and of course Airag – the traditional Mongolian fermented mare’s milk.
The Thousand Camel Festival
This unique festival is a celebration of the Gobi desert endangered Bactrian camel and its importance in the lives of Gobi’s nomads.
The festival takes place every year in the southern Gobi desert where you can experience camel racing and polo tournaments. Additionally, there’s also live traditional Mongolian music and dances.
As the festival is at the end of winter, you’ll get to witness the stunning thick furs of the unique Bactrian camel.
The Two Eagle Festivals
The gorgeous golden eagle has two festivals each year in Mongolia, one in September and the other in October. These are the months when eagles start to liven up by getting ready to hunt in the winter.
That’s a perfect opportunity to witness the ancient art of falconry which has existed for more than a thousand years.
It’s another experience that genuinely lets you understand what Mongolia is – all set against the impressive Altai mountains in western Mongolia.
Don’t Miss Any of the Festivals and Celebrations!
If you can’t pick a festival or celebration, you know that each is way too special to miss! That’s why you should make sure to experience each, even if it takes several years to do so. It’s always worth it returning to the majestic country of Mongolia.
If you want to know more about a good adventure trip that you might want to take, visit our site and find out.
