What is Nauryz and how to celebrate it?

This holiday is called Nauryz, which in ancient Iranian means “new day”. So it turns out that in Kazakhstan people celebrate twice with great fanfare – first in winter, and then in spring. It must be said that both holidays turn out to be extremely spectacular and interesting; the country does not skimp on holding nationwide events. One of them is already well understood, but we will tell you more about Nauryz: how to celebrate, what to do, what to eat, and where to go. Believe us, it will be very interesting!

Sacred Origins: Nauryz and Tengrianism

Several thousand years ago, when the nomadic tribes did not yet know Islam, the proto‑Kazakh tribes worshiped nature, believed in the power of the sky – Tengri – and the earth – Umai. Water and fire were considered sacred, and the earth was to be treated with care, not kicked or spat upon. It is believed that the foundation of the Nauryz holiday was laid during this period. Thousands of years ago on this day, it was customary to put the house in order, clear irrigation ditches or water sources, prepare a traditional dish of seven ingredients, gather under one roof with a large family, and have fun until late.
All of this, to one degree or another, is present in the modern version of Nauryz, indicating its origin during the time of Tengrianism. By the way, Nauryz originated approximately 5,000 years ago, long before the peoples of the East adopted Islam, and therefore it is not tied to religious mysteries. Because of this, it is joyfully celebrated by the entire population of Kazakhstan, regardless of nationality, skin color, race, or beliefs.

Folk Fun and National Flavor

What should those who have never celebrated Nauryz do? Go outside, of course! After all, all the fun takes place right here: in parks, squares, large avenues and boulevards, large‑scale festivities and a multitude of entertainment events are organized – we bet you’ve never seen anything like them! If you are still unfamiliar with the new city, don’t be afraid to merge with the crowd – it will surely lead you to the most interesting spot. Most likely, to a huge stage where local talents or even invited artists will sing praises to the arrival of spring, entertaining people with dances and a show program.

But what is truly cool and very colorful are the endless rows of huge white yurts (semicircular tents), which you can enter completely free of charge and taste traditional festive treats, which we will tell you about a little later. True, it is not customary to sit there for a long time, because there are many people willing! So here’s a little life hack – try everything that looks unfamiliar and hurry to visit another yurt. Believe me, you will definitely like the local delicacies!

How to Have Fun at Nauryz?

Again, all unusual and exciting activities take place outdoors. If you see horses freely walking along the avenue in blankets with national ornaments, it means you can definitely ride them and take photos, imagining yourself as a nomad. From afar, you will notice huge swings called “altybakan”, a favorite pastime of young people. Most often, people swing on them in pairs or even in a whole company to make it more fun.

For tens of meters, stalls and tents stretch, selling all sorts of lovely trinkets, from carved wooden dishes with national ornaments to handmade silver jewelry. Very spectacular demonstration performances by Kazakh athletes and wrestlers are often held, showing their strength and skills in the national style of wrestling called Kazakhsha kures. By the way, anyone can participate and try their luck.

What Must You Try?

If you have relatives with Turkic roots, you are lucky – there is nothing better than a family dastarkhan (a table set with traditional dishes) laid with love. But even if you don’t, don’t worry – we have a few life hacks for you on how to get to a real Kazakh feast.

The first, and perhaps the simplest, option is to contact a local tour operator, who can easily arrange anything for you, including a dastarkhan in a real yurt.

The second option is to go to an ethno‑village. There you can fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the nomadic people, from learning about the features of everyday life to tasting traditional dishes.

And the third option – welcome to cafes and restaurants of Kazakh cuisine to taste national delicacies. Here you will find beshbarmak, nauryz koje, baursaks, shelpeks, and if you are lucky, even kazy or traditional sweets. Never heard of such dishes? Well, try them once and you will remember them for a lifetime.

Beshbarmak is the favorite meat dish of the peoples of Asia (in different countries it may have different names, but the essence is the same), consisting of kespe noodles, the most tender boiled meat, and a rich broth with onions.

Kazy is a long and thick horse meat sausage served hot. The slightly specific taste of the meat is advantageously complemented by spices, making this dish a true delicacy.

Baursaks are round buns fried in oil, slightly crispy and very soft inside, while shelpeks are traditional flat cakes.

And finally, the most important dish that you must try during this holiday is nauryz koje. It is prepared strictly from seven ingredients, and this is even given a sacred meaning. Most often, the composition of nauryz koje looks like this: meat, salt, fat, onion, wheat, kurt (pieces of dried slightly salty cottage cheese), and irimshik (soft cottage cheese). The taste is quite specific, but at the same time quite fresh, with salty‑creamy notes. It is believed that if you try nauryz koje in seven different houses, the whole year will pass in abundance and prosperity.