Tatar culture and traditions. Tatars

As you know, the Tatar people are famous for their hospitality. The Tatars even say that “an inhospitable person is an inferior person.” But this is far from the only feature of the Tatars worthy of mention. In addition to respect for guests, Tatars are very polite, ethical and emotional in dialogues, and Tatar culture rich not only in customs and traditions, but also in special local cuisine.

Tatar speech etiquette

Tatarsky speech etiquette inherent respect for the interlocutor, tactfulness, positivity and emotionality due to numerous interjections in speech.

Basically, Tatars greet each other with the word “ Isyanmesez!", which corresponds to the Russian "Hello". If you want to sound less corny, you could say " Häerle irtä/kon/kich"(Good morning/afternoon/evening), but usually these words are used in the official sphere of communication. There are also simpler, informal options for saying hello: “ Salaam!" (Hello!), " Saums?"(Are you healthy?), " Nihyal" (How are you?).

Interestingly, when greeting Tatars, it is customary to shake both hands. Greeting with one hand, especially with older people, is a sign of disrespect.

When addressing relatives, Tatars use, one might say, “kin words”: “ apa" (sister), " life" (uncle), " bastard"(sister-in-law). The use of such words is a feature of Tatar speech.

Conversations among the Tatars take place sitting at the table. The owner treats the guest to tea, showing respect to the interlocutor. After a short, friendly conversation, the guest announces the purpose of the visit and gets down to business. At the end of the dialogue, the guest thanks the host for the treats and wishes him well-being, with the words “Syegyzga ryahmyat” (thank you for your treat) or “hormyategezgya ryahmyat” (thank you for your respect).

When saying goodbye, the Tatars say: “ hush» (« hushigyz") - goodbye (farewell), " sau blvd» (« sau bulygyz") - be healthy (be healthy).

Taking into account the above examples of Tatar speech, we can conclude that the behavior of Tatar speech is emotional, well-mannered and polite to the interlocutor.

Etiquette of the Tatar people

In addition to friendly dialogues, the etiquette of the Tatars is also felt in their congratulations: “ Byaryam Belyan"(happy holiday), " Tugan Konen Belyan" (Happy birthday), " Yana ate Belyan" (Happy New Year).

While dining, the Tatar people wish each other " tasty food ", as the equivalent of "bon appetit" in Russian: " ashlarygyz tyamle bulsyn"(may your food be delicious).

Tatars are especially ethical at weddings, wishing the newlyweds happy wedding (« tuylarygyz boilers bulsyn"), eating honey (" ashaganyn bulsyn") and drinking oil (" Chumergyanen May Bulsyn»)

But even the kind Tatar people There are your own “evil” wishes: “kulyn korygyry” (may your hand wither), “lyagnyat suksyn” (may you be damned).

Tatar hospitality etiquette

Hospitality is one of the main qualities of the Tatar people. Tatars are hospitable because:

• they say " shake toshkere, maktap jorisen ikyan"(may you be blessed) to people seen during lunch;
• Tatars ask to sit at the table with the words “ Utyrygyz, Ashtan Oly Tugelsezder bit"(sit down, you are not higher than the food), and while eating they say " avyz itegez"(taste), " zhiteshegez"(have time);
• their requests are quite expressive, for example: “ aydaya, kittek"(let's go, let's go), " barabyz! (let's go to!);
• You can greet your interlocutor by nodding your head or raising your hands: Tatars still do this with respect;
• Tatars thank you for the invitation with the words “ rumble" (Thank you), " bic calves"(willingly);
• The older generation is treated with great respect when visiting.

Cultural heritage and family values

Generally speaking, the real value for Tatars is education in children good qualities- moral and ethical. Tatar fathers raise their sons, teaching them to work, and mothers devote more time to their daughters, teaching them how to farm.

When addressing their loved ones, Tatars do not skimp on emotions, saying “ Kaderlem" (My dear), akkoshym"my swan" jankisyagem“(a piece of my soul), the Tatars value their family so much.

In a Tatar family, the head of the family is the father. His opinion is always listened to, he is responsible for the well-being of the family. The mother is also important in the family; she is a beloved member of the family. Tatar children from early age They are taught to be well-mannered, to respect elders and not to offend the defenseless.

Girls in a Tatar home are taught more than boys, as they are prepared for future life with my spouse. From childhood they are taught to be economical, modest and flexible.

Tatar customs are very diverse: from the annual sowing of crops to rituals during the birth of children.

For example, during a wedding, a special ceremony is performed - nikah. During the nikah, several tasks need to be completed for the marriage to become valid.

On the child's birthday, guests come to the newborn, and with... In addition to them, an Islamic priest comes - a mullah, who drives away evil spirits from the child.

Tatar traditions also include sitting postures: men sit with both legs crossed, and women bend one leg under them and press the other to the chest. Sitting differently is considered a little indecent.

There is also a custom during the feast. This tradition requires the oldest to take food first, and then younger people reach for food.

Tatars are not only hospitable, polite and well-mannered people. We tried to expand these associations by showing that the Tatar people also have a sense of humor, emotionality, and ethics. He observes traditions, loves family and respects loved ones. It is not surprising that the Tatars are a happy people!

We constantly communicate with representatives different nations, we perceive their culture, because more than 150 nationalities live in the Samara region. And the second largest ethnic group in the Samara region are the Tatars (126,124 people, this is 4.1% of the total population). Do you know anything about their traditions and customs?

Historically, big role In the ritual life of the Tatars of the Samara Volga region, the Muslim religious calendar was occupied. And most significant holiday in this calendar is Eid al-Fitr, associated with the end of the 30-day Muslim fast, during which one abstains from eating and drinking water from sunrise to sunset. The dates of fasting, like the dates of the holiday itself, are flexible and come every year (according to Gregorian calendar) 11 days earlier.

Many of us have heard about such a famous Tatar holiday as Sabantuy, which did not have an exact calendar date and day of the week, but was celebrated depending on the readiness of the land for sowing. Initially, the purpose of festive rituals was to appease the spirits of fertility, promoting good harvest. But with time magical rituals lost their meaning, and Sabantuy turned into a fun folk holiday, marking the beginning of field work. It was not customary to invite guests from other villages to Sabantui - they gradually arrived on their own, which is why the holiday stretched for several days. Preparation for the holiday began in advance and consisted of cleaning the house, yard and street, as well as preparing appropriate foods. For the celebration, they found meydan - flat hollows, clearings surrounded by trees and
bushes where they settled sports: keresh - sash wrestling, the winner of which received one of the best towels; short distance running (up to 1-2 km) with a finish at the Maidan; races of 5-8 km with the finish also on the Maidan. Participation in the latter was prestigious, so everyone who could exhibited horses. The riders were teenagers aged 8-12 years. All participants in the race were rewarded: the winner also received one of the best towels, the owner of the winning horse received a saban and a harrow. Even the last horse to arrive was tied to a towel, specially specified by the donor, as a “consolation” prize. Evening youth games were an obligatory element of Sabantuy. They were held either on the maidan or in traditional playgrounds - in meadows or clearings.

Family rituals also play an important role, in which the wedding occupies a central place. The main wedding ceremony is Nikah Tui, which was held in the bride’s house. The groom's parents and 3-5 pairs of guests brought bride price and refreshments. The wedding began with the religious ceremony of nikah (keben). The mullah wrote down the conditions of his imprisonment, and then asked the couple’s consent to the marriage. His father was responsible for the groom, two witnesses for the bride (she was hidden behind a curtain at that time), after which the mullah read out excerpts from the Koran. Then, with the removal of honey and butter, the feast began. In a certain sequence, guests were treated to the obligatory wedding dishes. The wedding took place in the bride's house for 2-3 days, after which it continued with relatives.

Funeral and memorial rites occupy a special place in the family and everyday rituals of the Tatars. According to tradition, older people prepare for death in advance. Each woman collects for herself and her husband things necessary for burial, material for the shroud - kefenlek and towels, as well as things for distribution in the form of gifts - sadaqa: pieces of fabric, shirts, scarves, towels, etc. They try to hold the funeral as quickly as possible, usually the day after death.

Of course, in modern world traditional national traits, but in general the Samara Tatars retain their language and cultural characteristics, characteristic of their ethnic group.

The material was prepared by students of the School of Interethnic Journalism in Samara

Text: Rufiya Kutlyaeva

Photo: Rufia Kutlyaeva, Valeria Kutsenko

The traditions of the Tatar family developed for a very long time. Although to XVIII century There has been a tendency towards smaller families, mutual assistance in the household has not gone away, and all the hardships and joys are traditionally shared by all family members. The traditional patriarchal way of life has also been preserved, with a small presence of female seclusion.

Like other peoples, among the Tatars the main events in the family were the birth of children and weddings. To the celebration dedicated to the birth of a child, men were invited separately from women. Historian Kayum Nasyri describes the ritual for the birth of a child: when all the guests have gathered, the child lying on a pillow is presented to the mullah. He asks the parents a question about the child’s name. Afterwards, the mullah places the child’s feet towards the Kaaba and reads a prayer. Afterwards he pronounces the phrase “Let yours” three times. precious name will be” and calls the name chosen for the child. Each guest is then served butter and honey. Taking the treat, the guest puts money on the tray - a gift. Time is running, today they can buy a car as a gift, but the ceremony remains the same.

Weddings in Tatar tradition There are three types: matchmaking, leaving a girl without the blessing of her parents and kidnapping the bride without her consent. Most often, young people got married after matchmaking. The groom's parents chose the bride and then sent matchmakers. Having discussed all the “details,” the bride’s relatives began preparations for the wedding. On the eve of the wedding, the groom's family sent gifts and ransom to the bride's family. This is the most “modern” part of the ritual - gifts and ransom have always corresponded to the spirit of the times. Previously, they used to be carpets or livestock, but now they can buy a car or an apartment as bridewealth. During the wedding itself and the wedding dinner, the bride and groom are traditionally not present - they are represented by their fathers. A traditional wedding ends with the serving of sherbet to the groom's family, indicating the acceptance of the bride price.

To this day, wedding rituals remain interesting and vibrant in many families. This includes the bride price (kalym), and the receipt of the bride’s dowry (byrne), and the religious wedding ceremony (nikah), and other traditions.

Tatar wedding

Undoubtedly, the Tatar wedding today has undergone significant changes compared to past centuries. A wedding most fully characterizes the worldview and aesthetics of an ethnic group, however, traditions tend to be forgotten.

Tatar weddings take place in November. This is due to the fact that the time for agricultural work is ending. The newlyweds are mainly wished beautiful life and “riding the horse of happiness.” Even these words reveal the Tatars’ blood love for horses, although the age of the automobile has long since arrived. IN general outline a Tatar wedding is in many ways similar to a Russian one. The mysterious flavor of the Tatar is explained by the fact that the Tatars are Muslims. The unusualness of the Tatar wedding is immediately revealed - if the Russian groom comes to pick up the bride, then the Tatars’ relatives of the bride come and “take away” the groom. After they seem to have persuaded the groom, the groom is taken to the bride. The groom is not taken to the bride's house, but to a place called kiyau-kilyaete. The bride is hidden in this room, and later the first wedding night will take place there. Previously, kiyau-kilyaete was made in special sheds, but today newlyweds use a neighbor’s house for a couple of days. Naturally, the question arises about the groom's kalyma (payment). In order to enter the kiyau-kilyaete, the groom will have to spend money on various obstacles caused by the bridesmaids. But the bride, opposite the groom’s stake, must also have a dowry - clothes, bed, household utensils, etc., which is called byrne. Throughout the wedding, the bride should not eat, drink, talk, or smile, causing sympathy from an outside observer. In all other respects, a Tatar wedding is either similar to a Slavic one, or is quite acceptable and without any special oddities.

The Tatar family is a delicate matter

Families of the Tatar people base their lives on Sharia and the Koran. Among the Tatars, creating a family is considered a generally accepted necessity. A bride is considered chic if she is of noble birth, virgin, can give birth to children, has good health and always follows Muslim traditions. The spouse must have only part of the above criteria: he must have good health, noble birth and honor Muslim traditions. Tatar family traditions Of course they are unique, but in many ways they are similar to Muslim ones.

The Tatar family in its ways is based on patriarchal principles. This can be traced to the fact that men and women have different social functions. After marriage, the husband has full power over his wife; she becomes his dependent. The bride's parents have no right to interfere in the relationship of the young family, no matter what happens in them. A wife cannot leave home without her husband’s consent: go to visit relatives or parents.

Tatar families are subject to divorce extremely rarely and only on the initiative of the husband. If, nevertheless, the husband decides to divorce, he is obliged to pay part of the dowry intended for the maintenance of his wife. A wife’s duties include obeying her husband at all times and in everything, following all his instructions and remaining faithful. The husband is obliged to buy his wife clothes and other necessary things, i.e. fully support her, and he also treats her according to the requirements of customs.

If a husband marries several times, he is obliged to provide each wife with a place of residence with a separate exit to the yard. Each wife’s room should have a design no worse than the other’s, and the husband should provide for everyone equally. This article presents only the main traditions Tatar families based on Muslims.Sources: tatar-media.ru welcome-kazan.ru tatarins.ru tatarplanet.ru www.tatar-rifs.ru

Each nation has its own traditions and customs, rooted in the distant past and now resurrected in the form national holidays.

Tatars have two words meaning holiday. Religious Muslim holidays are called by the word barks(Uraza Gaete is a holiday of fasting and Korban Gaete is a holiday of sacrifice). And all national, non-religious holidays are called in Tatar Bayram, which means “spring beauty”, “spring celebration”.

Religious holidays

Muslim holidays among the Muslim Tatars include collective morning prayer, in which only men participate. Then they go to the cemetery and pray near the graves of their relatives and friends. And at this time the women are preparing a festive dinner at home. As in Russian tradition, on holidays they went to the houses of relatives and neighbors with congratulations. During the days of Korban Bayram (the holiday of sacrifice), they tried to treat as many people as possible to meat from the killed lamb.

RAMADAN(Ramadan) (in Turkic languages the more common name is Uraza) the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, the month of fasting. According to Islamic tradition, in this month the first divine revelation was transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril, which was subsequently included in the holy book of Islam - the Koran.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the main duties of every Muslim. It is prescribed to strengthen Muslims in self-discipline and faithful execution of Allah's orders. During the entire daylight hours (from sunrise to sunset) it is forbidden to eat, drink, smoke, enjoy pleasure and indulge in entertainment. During the day one must work, pray, read the Koran, engage in pious thoughts and actions, and charity.

KORBAN-BAYRAM or the Feast of Sacrifice is an Islamic holiday at the end of the Hajj, celebrated on the 10th day of the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
According to the Koran, Jabrail appeared to the prophet Ibrahim in a dream and conveyed to him a command from Allah to sacrifice his first-born Ismail. Ibrahim went to the Mina valley to the place where Mecca now stands and began preparations, but this turned out to be a test from Allah, and when the sacrifice was almost made, Allah replaced the sacrifice of a son with a sacrifice of a lamb for Ibrahim. The holiday symbolizes mercy, the majesty of God and the fact that faith is the best sacrifice.

Celebrations of this day begin early in the morning. Muslims go to the mosque for morning prayer. The holiday ritual begins with a common prayer - namaz. At the end of the prayer, the imam who read the prayer asks Allah for his acceptance of fasting, forgiveness of sins and prosperity. After this, the believers, going through the tasbih (taspih), collectively read dhikr. Zikr is performed according to a special formula and in a special way, out loud or silently, and is accompanied by certain body movements. At the end of the morning prayer, believers return home.

On this day, it is also customary to slaughter a ram, although previously they slaughtered a camel or a bull (with the words “Bismillah, Allah Akbar”), and it is also customary to give alms (share a lamb treat). According to established tradition, it is customary to use a third of the meat to treat your family, give a third to the poor, and give a third as alms to those who ask for it.

National holidays

Spring is the time of awakening of nature, a time of renewal and expectation. A good spring means a good harvest, and therefore have a prosperous life.

Boz karau

As in the cultures and traditions of all peoples, Tatar villages were located on the banks of rivers. Therefore, the first “spring celebration” (beyram) is associated with ice drift. This holiday is called boz karau, boz bagu - “watch the ice”, boz ozatma - seeing off the ice, zin kitu - ice drift. All the village residents came out to the river bank to watch the ice drift. Young people dressed up and played the accordion. Straw was laid out and lit on floating ice floes.

Younger yau

Another tradition was when in early spring children went home to their villages to collect cereals, butter, and eggs. From the food they collected on the street, with the help of older cooks, the children cooked porridge in a large cauldron and ate it.

Kyzyl yomorka

A little later, the day of collecting colored eggs arrived. Housewives painted eggs in the evening - most often in broth onion peel and buns and pretzels were baked in a decoction of birch leaves.
In the morning, the children began to walk around the houses, carried wood chips into the house and scattered them on the floor - so that “the yard would not be empty” and shouted such chants, for example, “Kyt-kytyk, kyt-kytyk, are grandparents at home?” Will they give me an egg? Let you have a lot of chickens, let the roosters trample them. If you don’t give me an egg, there’s a lake in front of your house, and you’ll drown there!”

Sabantuy

Perhaps the most widespread and popular holiday now includes festivities, various rituals and games. Literally, “Sabantuy” means “Plow Festival” (saban - plow and tui - holiday). Previously, it was celebrated before the start of spring field work in April, but now Sabantuy is celebrated in June - after the end of sowing.
Sabantuy begins in the morning. Women put on their most beautiful jewelry, ribbons are woven into the horses' manes, and bells are hung from the arc. Everyone dresses up and gathers on the Maidan - a large meadow. There is a great variety of entertainment on Sabantui. The main thing is the national struggle - kuresh. To win it requires strength, cunning and dexterity. There are their own strict rules: opponents wrap each other with wide belts - sashes, the task is to hang the opponent on your belt in the air, and then put him on his shoulder blades. The winner (batyr) receives a live ram as a reward (according to tradition, but now it is more often replaced with other valuable gifts). You can participate and demonstrate your strength, agility, and courage not only in Kuresh wrestling.

Traditional Sabantuy competitions:
— Fight with bags of hay on top of a log. The goal is to knock the enemy out of the saddle.
- Running in sacks.
— Pair competition: one leg is tied to the partner’s leg and so they run to the finish line.
— Hike for a prize on a swinging log.
— Game “Break the pot”: the participant is blindfolded and given a long stick with which he must break the pot.
— Climbing a tall pole with prizes tied at the top.
- Running with a spoon in your mouth. On a spoon - a raw egg. Whoever comes running first without breaking the valuable cargo is the winner.
— Competitions for Tatar beauties - who can cut noodles faster and better.
In the clearing where the festivities are held, you can taste barbecue and pilaf homemade noodles and national Tatar treats: chak-chak, echpochmak, balish, peremyach.

Tatar rituals at the birth of a child

Whole line obligatory rituals accompanied the birth of a child. Previously, births were attended by midwives - bala ebise (midwife). The occupation of midwives was called ebilek. The midwife cut and tied the umbilical cord, washed the baby, and wrapped him in his father's undershirt. Then the ritual avyzlandyru (“give a taste”) was performed. They wrapped a lump of bread chewed with butter and honey in a thin cloth, made something like a pacifier and gave it to the newborn to suck. Sometimes they simply coated the child’s mouth with oil and honey or a honey solution - zemzem su.

The next day, the ritual of babyai munchasy (“children’s bath”) took place. The bathhouse was heated, and the midwife helped the woman in labor wash and bathe the baby. A few days later, the ceremony of isem kushu (naming) was held. They invited the mullah and guests—men from among the family’s relatives and friends—and set the table with treats. The mullah read a prayer, then they brought the child to him, and he turned to Allah, calling on him to take the newborn under his protection. After this, he whispered his name in Arabic into the baby’s ear. Children's names were, as a rule, chosen by mullahs who had special calendars with names. It was believed that the name depends further fate child.

The ancient traditions of the Tatars also include the ritual of treating dammit. For several days, friends, neighbors and relatives of the woman in labor came to visit her and brought treats and gifts.

Wedding ceremonies of the Tatars

Every marriage was preceded by a conspiracy, in which the groom (the groom) and one of the older relatives participated. If the bride's parents agreed to the marriage, during the course of the conspiracy, issues were resolved about the size of the bride price, the bride's dowry, the time of the wedding, and the number of invited guests. After the “marriage contract” was concluded, the bride was called yarashylgan kyz - the matched girl. Preparations for the wedding began. The groom collected bride price, bought gifts for the bride, her parents and relatives, bought things in future home. The bride was completing the preparation of the dowry, which she began collecting at the age of 12-14. Mostly these were clothes for myself and my future husband.

The wedding ritual and wedding feast took place in the bride's house. The groom was at his parents' house, and the bride, surrounded by her friends, spent the day in the so-called newlyweds' house (kiyau eye - literally the groom's house), which served as the house of the closest relatives. The girls wondered, trying to figure out the bride's fate in marriage.
In the wedding meeting (tui), the mullah performed the wedding ritual, which opened with a prayer appropriate to the occasion. After reading the marriage prayer, the marriage was considered concluded.
At this time, the bride saw off her friends and sisters, after which the ritual of uryn kotlau was performed - the consecration of the newlyweds’ bed. Guests from the bride’s side came to the kiyau eyye, each of them had to touch the feather bed with their hands or sit on the edge of the bed. Guests left several coins in a specially prepared saucer.

In the evening, the groom, accompanied by his groomsmen (kiyau zhegetlere), went to the wedding venue. The groom and his entourage were greeted with a number of rituals, many of which were in the nature of practical jokes. After the ritual treat for the groom, the guests escorted him to the bride. To get into her house, he paid a ransom (kiyau akchasy).

The next morning, the newlyweds were invited to the bathhouse (tui munchasy). Later, the groom's comrades came to inquire about the health of the newlyweds (hel belerge). Guests were invited into the house and treated to dinner. In the afternoon, a ritual is performed - archa soyu (literally caressing the back). The bride was invited to the hut where the women feasted. She was sat on her knees facing the corner. The girl expressed her submission to fate with a lyrical song. The groom's mother (kodagiy), her sisters (kodagiylar), and the groom's older sister (oly kodagiy) took turns approaching the bride and stroking her on the back, saying kind words or instructing her on how to behave with her husband. After this, the kodagiylar (matchmakers) gave gifts or money to the bride. By evening the guests went home.

After this stage of the wedding, the groom remained with the bride, but after a week he returned to his home. The young wife continued to live with her family. Her husband visited her every night. This was called kiyaulep yererge (groom). This is how time passed from six months to 2 years. At this time, the husband was either rebuilding new house for his family, or earned enough to pay the full amount of the dowry.

The second wedding feast (kalyn, kalyn tui) began with the young woman moving. At the appointed hour, the groom sent a decorated carriage with horses for the bride. The young wife got into the cart and the dowry was packed. The wife's parents were seated in other carts, then the matchmakers and matchmakers, and the cortege set off. In the house of the kiyau (husband), his parents and relatives greeted guests. Elder sister(Oly Kodagiy) or the mother of the groom held in their hands a freshly baked loaf of bread and a cup of honey. One of the men brought a calf to the cart - a symbol of prosperity. A pillow was placed on the ground. The daughter-in-law descended from the cart, leaning on the calf, and stood on the cushion. Then she broke off a piece of the loaf with her hands and, dipping it in honey, ate it.

Then the young woman performed the ritual of consecrating the home, sprinkling the corners and foundation of her new home. It was assumed that after this she would get along better with her new parents and settle into the house faster. Sometimes a young wife was sent with a yoke through the water (su yula) to the nearest spring or river. At the same time, they monitored how much water would spill from the buckets: the less, the more respect for the daughter-in-law.

Every nation has its own traditions with customs, rooted in the distant past, but resurrected today as national holidays. The Tatars have two words that mean holiday. Religious, that is, Muslim holidays are called here with the word gaet or aet. For example, Uraza Gaete is a holiday of fasting, and Korban Gaete is a holiday of sacrifice. As for folk ones, that is, not religious holidays, then in Tatar they are called beyrem, which means “spring beauty” or “spring celebration”.

Religious traditions of Tatarstan

Muslim festivities among the Muslim Tatars include collective morning prayers, in which only men participate. Then they go to the cemetery and there they pray again near the graves of their relatives or friends. On this day, women prepare a festive dinner for them at home. Like the Russians, here on holidays they go to the houses of relatives and neighbors with congratulations. On the days of the so-called Korban Bayram, that is, the holiday of sacrifice, the Tatars tried to treat the meat of a killed lamb maximum amount of people.

Ramadan and Ramazan

Ramadan or Ramadan, which is also called Eid in the Turkic dialect, is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. This is the month of fasting. And according to Islamic tradition, at this time the first of the divine revelations was transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Jibril, which was later included in the holy book of the entire Islamic people - the Koran.

Religion of the Tatar people

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the key responsibilities any Muslim. It is needed in order to strengthen all Muslims and increase their self-discipline, as well as teach them to accurately carry out the orders of Allah. Throughout the daylight hours, from sunrise to sunset, it is strictly forbidden to eat and drink, smoke, indulge in pleasure, or indulge in other entertainment. During the day one should work and pray, as well as read the Quran and engage in various pious thoughts or actions. You should also donate something to charity.

Eid al-Adha is also called the festival of sacrifice. This is the Islamic celebration of the end of the Hajj, celebrated on the 10th day of the twelfth Islamic month. lunar calendar. According to the Koran, the angel Gabriel appeared in a dream to the prophet Ibrahim to convey to him the command of Allah that he should sacrifice his first son Ismail. And upon waking up, Ibrahim immediately went to the Mina valley to the very place where Mecca stands today to begin preparations. But this turned out to be only a test of Allah, and therefore, when the sacrifice was almost made, the merciful Allah replaced the sacrifice with a son for Ibrahim and told him to slaughter the lamb. The holiday symbolizes the mercy and majesty of God and also the fact that faith is the best sacrifice.

Celebration

Celebrating such a day begins with the onset of morning. Muslims go to the mosque for morning prayer. The ritual of this holiday begins with a general prayer, it is called namaz. At the end of it, the imam, who read the prayer, asks Allah for fasting, forgiveness of sins and prosperity. Next, all believers, going through the tasbih, read dhikr together. By the way, it is performed according to a special formula and in a special way, both out loud and silently and is always accompanied by specific body movements. After completing the morning prayer, all believers solemnly return home.

Advice

At home, a ram is slaughtered, although according to tradition it would be necessary to slaughter a camel or a bull. This must be done with the words “Bismillah, Allah Akbar.” There is also a tradition of giving alms and sharing cooked lamb. According to the tradition that has developed over many centuries, it is customary to cook only a third of the meat to treat your family, and give a third to the poor, and the remaining third is distributed as alms to all those asking.

Do the Tatars have folk traditions, not related to religion?

Spring is a time of nature's awakening, when people's expectations are renewed. So a good spring means a good harvest, in other words, a prosperous life. As in the cultures and traditions of other peoples, all Tatar villages were on the banks of rivers. Therefore, the very first “spring celebration” or beyram was associated with ice drift. This holiday is called “boz karau” or “boz bagu”, in other words, “watch the ice”. Then there was “boz ozatma” - this is a farewell to the ice, after which came “zin kitu”, which meant the drift of ice. All the villagers came to the river bank to watch the ice drift. Young people even dressed up and played accordions. Straw had to be laid out and set on fire on floating ice floes.

Another tradition was the rule according to which in early spring children went from house to house in their village and collected cereals, butter and eggs. From the food they collected on the street, with the help of older cooks, they cooked porridge in a large cauldron and then ate it. A little later, the day of collecting “colored eggs” arrived. The housewives had been painting them since the evening. And most often, a decoction of onion peels or birch leaves was used for this. At the same time, pretzel buns were baked. In the morning, the children began to go around the houses and bring wood chips there, scattering them on the floor. This was done so that “the yard would not be empty.” Along the way, they shouted such chants and chants, for example, “Kyt-kytyk, kyt-kytyk, are grandparents at home? Will they give me an egg? Let you have a lot of hens, and let the cockerels trample them. If you don’t give me the egg, then there’s a lake in front of your house, and you’ll drown there!”

Perhaps the most widespread and popular holiday today, which includes folk festivities with various rituals and games, is Sabantuy. Literally it means “Feast of the Plow.” Because saban is a plow, and thuja is a holiday. Previously, it was celebrated before all spring field work began, that is, in April, today Sabantuy is celebrated in June, that is, at the end of sowing.

Sabantuy and its celebration

Sabantuy celebrations begin in the morning. Women dress their holiday decorations, ribbons are woven into the horses' manes, and bells are hung from the arc. Everyone dressed up gathers in a large meadow. It's called Maidan. There is a great variety of entertainment here. The main thing is the national struggle called kuresh. To win here, strength and cunning with dexterity are required. There are also strict rules. So, opponents wrap each other with wide belts called sashes; the point is to be able to hang the opponent on your own belt in the air, and then put him on his shoulder blades. The winner is called a hero and receives a live ram as a reward. However, now more and more often such a prize is replaced with other, more valuable gifts. You can participate in other competitions to demonstrate strength and agility, as well as courage.

Sabantuy traditional competitions

• fight with bags of hay riding on a log. The goal is to knock the enemy out of the saddle
• Running in sacks
• pairs competition: one leg must be tied to the partner’s leg, and then run like this to the finish line
• walking along a swinging log for a prize
• a game called "Break the Pot". Here the participants are blindfolded and given a long stick in their hands, with which they need to break the pot
• climbing a pole with prizes tied to the top
• run with egg and spoon. There is a raw egg on a spoon. Whoever comes running first without breaking his fragile cargo wins
• competitions organized for Tatar beauties. For example, who can cut noodles the fastest and best?

In the clearing where the festivities take place, you can eat shish kebab and pilaf, as well as homemade noodles and national treats like chak-chak, echpochmak, balish and peremyach.

Rituals and rules regarding the birth of a child

A number of obligatory rituals accompany the birth of a child. Previously, midwives handled childbirth. Their name was Bala Ebise. The occupation of midwives was called ebilek. The midwife had to cut and tie the umbilical cord, wash the baby, and wrap him in his father's undershirt. Then a ritual was performed called avyzlandyru, that is, “let me taste.” A lump of bread chewed with butter and honey was wrapped in the thinnest cloth, a pacifier was made and given to the baby to suck. Sometimes they even simply coated the child’s mouth with oil and honey, or a honey solution. This was called "zemzem su".

The next day, they performed the ritual of “babyai munchasy,” that is, a “children’s bath.” The bathhouse was heated, then the midwife helped the woman in labor wash herself and buy her baby. After several days, the ceremony of isem kushu, that is, naming, was held. The mullah and guests - men who were relatives and acquaintances of the family - were invited to attend, and a table was set with various treats. The mullah had to read a prayer, after which a child would be brought to him. He turned to the great Allah, urging him to take this newborn under his protection. Next, he whispered his name into the baby’s ear, but in Arabic sound. Children's names were selected, as a rule, by mullahs who had special naming calendars. It was believed that this would depend on future life child.

Conclusion:

The Tatars treat all ancient traditions sacredly, they honor rituals and consider them, to this day, mandatory. Let it go modern life brings a lot of new things into their life; there is always room for the old.