Few people know that Sabantuy is a public holiday in Tatarstan, which is celebrated with pleasure not only by residents of this republic, but also in many other regions of Russia.
The way Sabantuy is celebrated is a fun and exciting event, and it is carried out first in villages, and only at the final stage in large cities. As a rule, in Kazan and Ufa, large-scale concerts are organized annually on the occasion of this holiday, in which everyone takes part.
During Sabantuy, many not only entertainment but also sporting events are held. Both professionals and anyone who loves sports and advocates an active healthy lifestyle take part in the competition.
During the holiday, exciting competitions are constantly organized, and many spectators enjoy playing modern “fun starts”. This distinguishes Sabantuy from other holidays, and all spectators, as well as those who take part in the competitions, receive a huge charge of positive emotions, a sea of positivity and good mood.
If you don’t know what Sabantuy is and how it is celebrated, then it’s best to go to this holiday one day and get acquainted with the traditions of the Tatar people. To do this, you should go to the homeland of this holiday.
However, in any large city where there is a large Tatar diaspora, this holiday is also widely celebrated. There is no exact date for Sabantuy; it is determined every year and usually falls at the end of May or beginning of June.
When will Sabantuy be celebrated in 2020?
Typically, the date of the holiday is set by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on holding the Tatar folk holiday “Sabantuy”, which, as a rule, is signed at the end of March and published on the website of the Republic of Tatarstan rt-online.ru.
So, last year the following dates for this holiday were established:
- in rural settlements, regional centers of the Republic of Tatarstan (including in cities of republican significance) - June 8-9, 2019;
- in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny - June 16, 2019;
- in the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan - June 23, 2019.
How is the Sabantuy holiday going?
There is no clear opinion about when and how the Sabantuy holiday appeared. It is only known that it is very ancient - the earliest mentions of it are older than three thousand years. According to some historians, this holiday is the prototype of the Greek Olympic Games.
This holiday also marks the end of spring field work. Therefore, all people are sincerely having fun and rejoicing at the successful completion of this difficult stage of agriculture and are now satisfied that the efforts spent will be rewarded with a good harvest.
If we talk about who should be congratulated on the Sabantuy holiday, then in addition to its participants and village workers, it is customary to congratulate all Tatars and Bashkirs who live outside their historical homeland on this event.
If you are invited to events dedicated to this holiday, do not hesitate to agree to participate in them and enjoy its unique atmosphere with everyone.
We hear the word “Sabantuy” and immediately imagine a sunny and warm summer day. Sabantuy is the most favorite holiday of the Tatar people, which is celebrated cheerfully and widely every year. But not everyone probably knows how it appeared and what the word “Sabantuy” means.
The name of the holiday comes from the Turkic words: “saban” and “tuy”. The word "tuy" means holiday. But the word “saban” has several meanings. Firstly, this word refers to an agricultural tool, a plow. And all other values indicate the time of plowing, arable land, time of field work, spring crops. In recent years, Sabantuy is often called the holiday of the plow. But this is not quite the correct name. It would be more accurate to say that this is a “holiday of spring sowing”, “a festival of spring crops”. Because the whole course of the holiday shows that it is held in honor of spring sowing. Our ancient ancestors, being pagans, made sacrifices to the deities of fertility and the spirits of the earth in order to appease them and ensure a rich harvest of grain.
History of the origin of the holiday
In ancient times, when there was no official calendar or division into months and dates, people divided the year into seasons depending on specific agricultural work (preparation for sowing, spring field work, harvesting, etc.). This division of seasons also existed among our ancestors. In addition, they often designated the seasons by the name of the main agricultural work performed during that period. For example, “urak oste”, “pechen oste” (haymaking) meant summer time, harvest time; “Saban Oste” - spring, the time of the beginning of field work.
Previously, people believed that the spirit world could help a person in his daily affairs. They tried to appease them with various gifts and sacrifices. The entire life of an agricultural society depended on a good harvest. Therefore, rituals designed to maintain the fertility of the land and ensure a high harvest were especially important for ancient farmers. These rituals were performed before each grain sowing. Over time, they lost their original magical functions and acquired the character of a folk holiday. Sabantuy is one of these holidays.
There are several versions regarding the origin of the Sabantuy holiday. Some scientists believe that Sabantuy came to us from other nations. So, the Mongols have a holiday similar to Sabantuy, called Naadam. The main competitions here are wrestling, horse racing and archery. However, the rules of folk games at the Mongolian holiday differ from ours. Other scientists suggest that Sabantui appeared in Volga Bulgaria itself. There are also versions connecting Sabantui with the traditions of Tengrism.
The main competition of Sabantuy - kuresh - also has an ancient history. Among the archaeological finds dating back to the 3rd-1st centuries. BC, images of paired wrestlers were found. In addition, wrestling is mentioned in some ancient Turkic literary works. It is known that the ancient Turks even had special works describing the rules of wrestling.
Thus, Sabantuy is an ancient Turkic holiday that appeared when our ancestors just started farming, and only later it finally took shape and became a traditional folk holiday.
There are several goals for holding a modern Sabantuy: identifying the warriors - the winners in the struggle, folk entertainment with national songs, dances and games, and most importantly - summing up the results of spring field work and rewarding the best farmers. Previously, Sabantuy was celebrated before the start of spring field work. And before the holiday, no one went into the field or began sowing. And instead of the current Sabantuy, another holiday was celebrated - Jien.
Pre-holiday rituals
There was no exact date or specific day of the week for Sabantuy. Everything depended on weather conditions, the intensity of snow melting and the degree of readiness of the soil for sowing spring crops. This usually happened at the end of April. On the eve of Sabantuy, a special ritual “Karga botkasy” was performed, which was considered the initial stage of the holiday.
The ritual of celebrating Sabantuy consisted of two parts. First, magical ceremonies were held, and then competitions, games and mass entertainment. Preparations for Sabantuy began several weeks before the holiday. As a rule, village elders - aksakals - agreed among themselves and decided on the date and place of the holiday. Usually, beautiful green meadows near rivers, lakes and forests were chosen as the place of celebration.
The rite “Seren Salu” or “Seren” occupied the main place among other preparatory rites. It is also called “selge zhyyu”, i.e. collecting gifts for competition winners and participants in folk games. The young men, riding around the village on decorated horses, shouted: “Arape! Arape!
Arape! Sometimes older men also collected gifts. Holding a wooden pole (pole) in their hands, they walked the streets and collected gifts: embroidered scarves, towels and pieces of cloth, etc. Along with gifts, they also collected eggs for Sabantuy.
As we have already said, before Sabantui a ritual of sacrifice was performed, where a white horse, a white duck or a goose was sacrificed.
In addition, a certain area of the field was selected, and on the day of Sabantuy, ritual plowing was carried out. Large chicken eggs were placed in the furrow, which were then collected by children with wishes for a rich harvest. Probably, in ancient times this was the ritual of cult feeding the spirits of the earth in the hope that from this the grains in the ears would be as large as eggs. It was this part of Sabantuy that was previously the main, most important, and games and competitions only decorated and emphasized the importance of the holiday. However, all pagan rituals and sacrifices were forgotten over time and were subject to changes, leaving only folk games, competitions and amusements.
Competitions
Over time, the competitions held on the Sabantuy holiday have changed. However, the main ones are still national wrestling - kuresh - and horse racing. Before the adoption of Islam, women could also participate in the fight, they even defeated men. For example, in the 12th century, the daughter of the emir of Volga Bulgaria, Shamgun-Saina, defeated her husband-batyr during a struggle.
The main gift that is given to the strongest wrestler is, as you know, a ram. But why a ram and not some other prize? Among the ancient Turks, the ram was a sacred animal. It was believed that it protected people from evil spirits, and some of the animal's bones had magical powers. That’s why the ancient Turks presented their guests of honor with a boiled lamb’s head.
The competition began with horse racing. Various horse games were widespread among all nomadic peoples. In between migrations, they selected the best horses and held competitions in speed and agility. This not only helped identify the most resilient and powerful animals, but was also good training for riders.
It is impossible to imagine the life of nomads without a horse. The horse was the closest assistant, the breadwinner of a man, and during a battle a good horse could save his life. Our ancestors believed that deities, just like people, rode horses. Therefore, horses themselves were also considered sacred animals.
The preparation of horses for the upcoming races began with the so-called warm-up (“at ayagi kyzdyru”). As soon as the snow melted and the roads dried up, in the evenings the young men rode out on horseback and staged a kind of race. This went on for several days. Thus, they trained the horses, preparing them for the main competitions.
Catch up with the girl (“Kyz kuu”)
Another of Sabantuy’s traditional equestrian competitions is “Kyz Kuu”.
The girl, like a bird, rushes on a fast horse, and the horseman must catch up and catch her, like a golden eagle. And having caught it, take the scarf from the girl’s hands and kiss her on the cheek. If the guy didn’t catch up with the girl within the allotted time, on the way back she could laugh at him and try to knock the hat off his head with a damask. This was considered a great shame for the horseman.
All competitions held on Sabantui certainly meant and symbolized something. For example, archery is not just training for future warriors and hunters. In the distant past, the ability to shoot a bow meant that young men had reached adulthood. The bow also symbolized the first rays of the sun.
Holidays related to agriculture are also held among other nations. For example, the Udmurts celebrate “Tulys Hera”. This holiday is also held before spring field work. The Mari have “Agavairem”, “Agapayrem” or “Peledysh payrem”, which is carried out after spring field work. The Chuvash Akatui is closest to Sabantui. The word “akatuy” literally translates as “sowing wedding.” The Chuvash had two names for this holiday - Akatuy and Sabantuy - which had a similar meaning. Since ancient times, the Chuvash gathered on this day to congratulate each other, join a common round dance and sing their favorite songs, and swim in the river. Men organized sports competitions: belt wrestling, running, horse racing.
The children also tried their hand at various games: pole climbing, sack running, and tug of war.
So, you learned that Sabantuy, which began to be celebrated by nomads, then turned into a holiday of farmers, and has come down to us simply as a cheerful folk festival. This is one of the national holidays, which, undergoing changes, changing with time and people, has come down from ancient times to the present day.
M. Khabibullin. Excerpt from the novel “Kubrat Khan”
Now the time has come for kyzkuyshtuy - the holiday of choice. Ulug Khan, having awarded the winners of the competition, returned to the guests of honor, and Khansha Appak took her place on the Maidan. Now she had the main role. She sat in a place of honor, gifts were piled at her feet for those who would become husband and wife today. The ancient custom of the Bulgars was simple: a line was drawn at the seashore and a girl stood on it, thirty meters from her on the same line a young man stood, and if he caught up with the one that he wanted to call his wife, before she reached the sea, by his will Tangre they became a couple. And if not…
The girl jumped off the red ribbon and, if she didn’t want to fall to any hero, she managed to run to the water and get her feet wet. And then she had the right once again - as many times as she wanted - to stand on the tape again, until the one to whom she agreed to be his wife caught up with her. And the batyr, who did not catch up with his chosen one, lost the right to a wife for a whole year, and another brave man should have thought hard, unless the one with whom he risked going out to the ribbon together had not smiled at him in advance: at the distance of an arrow, it is difficult to catch up with the one who doesn't want to be caught up with her. 
And then the first couple came out... Hansha waved her handkerchief - the girl rushed like a whirlwind towards the strip of water. The hero rushed out of his seat even faster... “He’ll catch up!” - shouted in the crowd. “Hey, turn it up, don’t be lazy!” “It won’t catch up! - others shouted. “He shouldn’t run after his bride, sit at home...” A few steps before the water, the girl looked back... one can say: if she hadn’t looked back, the hero wouldn’t have caught up with her. And then her leg turned out, the girl stumbled - and, limping, was she ready to run? True, when the strong man led her by the hand to the place where Kubrat Khan’s wife Appak was waiting for this couple, smiling, the girl did not look too upset, and the hero was smiling with all his might. Approaching the Khansha, they bowed their heads to each other... Appak gave them generous gifts and sincerely wished them a long life and many children.
And the next couple came onto the tape. And here it all almost ended sadly - at the very edge of the water, at the very last moment, the hero caught up with his chosen one. But the third one didn’t catch up. Just a little, one step remained for him to take, but just this step was not enough for him, and, hanging his head, not looking at anyone, the loser wandered along the sea and walked in an unknown direction until he disappeared from sight.
Traditionally, in the Republic of Tatarstan, Sabantuy is held in June for 3 weeks. On the first Saturday after the completion of spring sowing, the holiday takes place in villages and villages, a week later - in large cities (Naberezhnye Chelny, Nizhnekamsk, Almetyevsk, Bugulma, etc.), and a week later in the capital of the republic, the city of Kazan.
In Tatarstan, Sabantuy has the status of a public holiday, therefore, for its preparation, decrees and resolutions are issued, organizing committees are appointed, and funding is allocated. The area where it will be held is determined in advance - the Maidan. This territory is leveled, cleared, and stands for spectators and equipment for competitions are built on it.
In the cities of the republic, as a rule, Sabantuy takes place on one day. It is solemnly opened by the head of the city, followed by entertainment events: performances by professional and amateur groups, round dances, songs and dances, and then competitions begin. In Naberezhnye Chelny and Kazan, horse racing is also held at the hippodrome.
In Tatar villages and villages, the celebration on the Maidan is preceded by the collection of gifts. Young men ride around the village on horses singing cheerful songs, collecting towels, scarves, pieces of fabric and other gifts that decorate the horses' bridles. In some villages, the oldest residents collect gifts: the owners meet them at the gate and present them with gifts.
Ritual collection of eggs is also traditional for Sabantuy in Tatarstan. They are collected in a bucket, some are sold and the proceeds are used to buy things for the celebration, and the rest is used for competitions.
Competitions for dancers, singers, and readers are held on the Maidan. Comic competitions are organized: running with buckets filled with water on a yoke, jumping in bags. Participants catch a coin with their lips from a bowl of milk, holding their hands behind their backs, fight with bags filled with hay or grass while sitting on a slippery log, break clay pots with their eyes closed, tug of war, climb a high pole with a prize suspended at the top, etc. .
A special moment on Sabantuy is the national Kuresh wrestling, which is started by small children, and then alternately continued by young men, young people and men. When 2 wrestlers remain, the battle of the warriors begins. Its winner receives the main reward of Sabantuy: a live ram or a valuable prize (car, household appliances, carpets, etc.).
Residents of the Republic of Tatarstan prepare new beautiful outfits for Sabantuy, gifts for relatives and friends, and set the festive table. The Maidan is bustling with sweets, pastries, tea, water, and juices. Large tea parties are often held on the lawns.
Sabantuy is complemented by modern traditions that merge with ancient customs, but this holiday always unites and brings together people of different nations and ages.
From Monday March 30, 2020, restrictions on movement around the city will be introduced in the capital. (home self-isolation) for all Moscow residents regardless of age.The corresponding Decree number 34-UM dated March 29, 2020 was signed by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on March 29, 2020. The new document amends (adds) the previously issued Decree No. 12-UM dated 03/05/2020.
We tell you what can and cannot be done in accordance with the new Decree.
Despite the imposed self-isolation regime, in some cases it is still possible to leave the house. We list these cases below.
In what cases can you leave the house:
* In case of seeking emergency medical care.
* In case of a threat to life or health.
* In the case of going to a place of activity (work), the implementation of which is not prohibited. Previously we wrote about
* To purchase food and goods - go to the nearest store.
* In case of walking pets - at a distance of no more than 100 meters from the place of residence.
* If necessary, take out the garbage to the nearest waste accumulation site.
If you do need to leave the house, you should follow a number of rules.
How to behave on the street, in public places and public transport:
* It is necessary to maintain distance (social distancing), that is, not to approach other citizens at a distance of less than one and a half meters, with the exception of taxi rides.
* Comply with special social distancing markings in areas where they are posted.
The Decree does not apply to:
* for cases of medical provision. help.
* on the activities of law enforcement agencies and other bodies whose actions are aimed at ensuring the safety of citizens.
* for vehicle traffic.
* for citizens who have been issued special passes.
* for cases of arrival and departure from the city.
Until what date will the self-isolation regime for all residents of Moscow, introduced on March 30, 2020, last:
In the published document The end date of the general self-isolation regime is not specified, introduced from March 30, 2020.This means that the timing of lifting the home self-isolation regime will be announced additionally after the epidemiological situation in Moscow and the region improves and the spread of coronavirus infection begins to decline.
Sabantuy is a traditional holiday marking the completion of spring field work, and is one of the most popular holidays among the Bashkirs and Tatars. In other interpretations, Sabantuy is also found in the Caucasus, Volga region and other regions. Since there is no clearly designated date for the celebration, which is relevant in different years, for quality preparation it is necessary to know when it will be celebrated.
The date of the holiday may vary depending on many factors, since the end of field work may occur at different times (late May, mid or late June). But the most important thing is that the celebration does not fall on the first days of the holy month of Ramadan.
In Tatarstan, Sabantuy was initially only a folk holiday, but over time it was recognized as a national holiday, and therefore the scope of its celebration increased significantly. The celebration is celebrated by Tatars living not only in the Russian Federation, but also in many countries around the world (France, Great Britain, USA, etc.)
Preparations for the holiday begin in the first months of the year, but the official date of the celebration is announced only in the spring. After this, a schedule of ceremonial events is developed, which is posted in advance on the official resources of the settlements
The history of the holiday
Sabantuy literally translated from the Turkic language means “wedding of the plow.” Initially, the celebration was held in order to appease the spirits responsible for the fertility of the earth and abundant harvests. People believed that if you appease your patrons well and richly, the harvest will be rich, and vice versa, if you are stingy, then in the fall there will be nothing to collect from the fields.
The first description of the holiday was made by the hand of Ibn Fadlan back in the 10th century AD. (921). From his notes it became known that Sabantuy occupied an important place in the life of the Tatars, as it was the sign of the completion of spring sowing work in the fields. Hoping for positive results from their labors, people organized cheerful celebrations, which, regardless of the month, were held on Sundays.
Initially, the date of the holiday fell at the end of spring or the beginning of summer, even before the start of arable work, but only after the celebration of the arrival of spring - the Tatar-Bashkir Kargatuy. Over time, the timing of the celebrations has shifted, so the holiday is celebrated after all the spring work in the fields has been completed. But, as before, there is no specific date for Sabantuy, because the timing of the completion of sowing work is influenced by many factors (weather conditions, etc.).
Celebration traditions
The traditions of celebrating Sabantuy are as ancient as the holiday itself, despite the fact that it is no longer just a folk festival, but a national celebration financed by the state (in Tatarstan), which is carried out in several stages - first in small settlements, and then already in big cities.
Interesting! Sabantuy has its own emblem and it is a blue shield with inscriptions on it, a winged horse and a homespun towel
The scenario of events for the celebration is developed by organizing committees that are created in big cities, regional centers and villages. Raising the Sabantui holiday flag - a white towel with a red border at the ends - is the initial stage of the celebration.
Most residents adhere to the basic traditions and rituals in preparation for the holiday, which are the essence of Sabantuy, and pass them on to their children and grandchildren.
Such traditions include:
- Collection of gifts. On the eve of the celebration, boys and young men collect various gifts (souvenirs, sweets, embroidered items, etc.), driving around every street and entering every house. The gift fund is located on the main square and is used to award winners and participants in folk competitions. Gifts often include household appliances (irons, coffee makers, etc.), MP3 players, mobile phones, etc.
- Collecting eggs on the eve of Sabantuy - whoever collected the most wins. Some of the collected eggs are painted, and some are given for celebration as an attribute of one of the competitions; they can be drunk at speed, carried in a spoon, etc.
- Women prepare “crow porridge” and color previously collected eggs (most often red). This custom is very ancient and symbolizes the awakening of nature after winter sleep. The housewives give the porridge and eggs to the little boys, who go from house to house in the morning.
These are not all customs, but even these are no longer observed so precisely. Eggs do not need to be collected in advance; each family going to the holiday can bring them with them. The situation is exactly the same with porridge and the coloring of eggs; the porridge may not be cooked at all, and the eggs can be replaced with bread fried in oil and sweets. On the day of the festivities, children are allowed to make noise, run around a lot, laugh and scream, they are encouraged and taught that after good work there should be a good, well-deserved rest.
Folk competitions and competitions are the most interesting stage of the festivities and are held on the main square.
Anyone can become a participant in the exciting action, the main thing is desire and a good mood.
The most popular are:
- horse racing – almost everyone competes, as this competition determines the best rider of the year;
- archery;
- belt wrestling (the most modern type of competition among the Tatars);
- arm wrestling;
- sack race;
- tug of war;
- squeezing weights;
- catching chickens or fish with your hands, etc.
Especially for married couples, there is a competition for the husband to carry his wife from one point to another at speed. Children's attractions and special competitions with sweet prizes can keep kids busy for the whole day. An indispensable attribute of Sabantuy are rich meals, which are organized by skilled chefs right on the streets.
After a whole day of competitions and competitions, the population has the opportunity to listen to musical works by various performers and groups, sing and dance. Along with this, you can also appreciate the talents of dancers, readers and singers who take part in thematic competitions.
Guests on this day are welcomed with open arms, because all housewives prepare many traditional treats in advance and invite their relatives, neighbors, and good friends.
The content of the festive program of events can be varied and depends on many factors, but one thing remains unchanged - people are grateful for the past and full of hope for a good future, which they sincerely rejoice at.
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