Kazakh etiquette and customs

Kazakhs are famous for their hospitality. All guests should slaughter sheep to entertain guests. If the guest leaves, the owner should immediately go to the stable to feel the horse's belly to see if it is full, and then carefully lead it out, otherwise it will be rude. It's getting late, so be sure to keep the guests, or you will be accused by your neighbors.

Kazakhs also have a good custom of helping each other. Helping each other is regarded as a virtue by Kazakhs. Whoever refuses to help will lose the right to be helped by others, and will also be regarded as a person who destroys customs and habits by people of the same tribe.

When Kazakhs meet happy events, they should sprinkle milk bumps, sugar cubes, fruit candy, Bao 'ershak and so on. So that everyone can scramble to eat and share the joy. Kazakhs call this ceremony of blessing happiness "Qiaxiu", which means "Sa".

Respecting the old and loving the young is the traditional virtue of Kazak people. Young people should take the initiative to say hello when they meet old people. Let the old people go first when entering the door or walking, and invite the old people to sit on the table when eating and drinking tea.

"Kazak" translated into Chinese means "brave free man". Kazakhs are one of the world-famous nomadic peoples and an important transnational nation, with a total population of over10 million. The history of Kazak can be traced back to the Han Dynasty in China, and it is widely distributed. In the hinterland of Eurasia with a very important strategic position, there are traces of Kazakh ethnic activities in the vast area of more than 3 million square kilometers west of the Caspian Sea from Altai Mountain and Tianshan Mountain. At present, there are more than 65,438+200,000 Kazaks in Xinjiang alone, mainly distributed in northern and eastern Xinjiang.

I. Recreation and sports

The entertainment activities of Kazak people not only have their own national characteristics, but also have extensive mass participation. Their entertainment is closely related to horse riding, grazing, hunting and other production activities, mainly including horse racing, wrestling, herding sheep, chasing girls and wrestling at once. It is said that the activity of robbing sheep originated in the Middle Ages. At that time, the wolf disaster in animal husbandry was quite serious, and herdsmen were particularly hostile to wolves. Once the wolf is hunted, everyone competes for pleasure. Later, it gradually evolved from catching wolves to catching sheep as a mass entertainment activity. Among Kazakhs, horse racing is not only a personal matter for the contestants, but also an honor for the whole clan and tribe. The average owner will not keep the prize money won by horse racing, but will distribute a considerable part of it to relatives and friends to share with you.

Gunianzhui: "Gunianzhui" is a word "Kizikuwa" in Kazakh language, and it is a favorite sports activity of Kazakh young men and women. This is also a special way for young men and women to express their love. Young men and women get to know each other through "chasing girls", and finally lovers get married. "Chasing Girls" is usually held in the open and flat meadow in summer and autumn, and herdsmen from far and near come to visit by riding horses. It is said that long ago, the leaders of two Kazakh tribes formed their children's in-laws. On the day when the girl was going to pass the door, people who came to pick up relatives deliberately praised their groom's horse as the best swift horse. The bride's father said, "My daughter's horse is the best. If you don't believe me, you can enter the competition. If your horse can catch up with my daughter's horse, the girl will pass the door today, or another day. " So the game began. Because girls have a good impression on the young man, they deliberately slow down and pretend to let the young man catch up and take the opportunity to communicate. When she returned, she let the young man run in front and chased after him. As a result, "chasing girls" became "chasing girls". So "chasing girls" came into being. Since then, many young men and women of Kazak nationality have developed a good impression, sprouted love and become lifelong companions through this playful pursuit and exchange. Now this kind of activity is no longer limited to young men and women, and sometimes some married adult men and women will participate, but it is generally required that both men and women should be close in age, because only in this way can they play games and make jokes at will. There are many beautiful legends about "chasing girls". Once upon a time, a white swan became a woman, married a hunter and became the ancestor of Kazakhs. On their wedding day, they rode two white horses and flew around like white swans, chasing each other. It is said that this is the origin of "chasing girls". This legend reflects the custom of "chasing girls", a riding game handed down from ancient times. "Chasing girls" is mostly held in festive festivals, which is one of the important contents of folk activities. The hospitable Kazakh girls will invite tourists from afar to participate in this instant entertainment.

Picking sheep: Picking sheep is an instant entertainment activity held by Kazakhs to pray for blessings, and it is also a horse-riding sports competition with strong antagonism, fierce competition, courage, tenacity and wit. Picking sheep is a traditional sports activity loved by brothers and masses of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, especially Kazak, Kirgiz, Tajik and other herders are good at this kind of horse riding. In midsummer, the pasture in Mazhuang is lush, and herders will spontaneously organize sheep-picking activities in groups in their leisure time.

Wrestling: Wrestling is one of the traditional sports activities of Kazak people, and it is an antagonistic sport of strength and skill. Wrestling will be held at weddings, circumcision and anniversary ceremonies. Wrestling immediately, also known as wrestling immediately. The way is that the participants are divided into two groups, one to one, and the two compete for strength and skills to see who can pull the other person off the horse or directly pull him to his horse, which is regarded as victory.

Horse racing: Horse racing is a traditional sports and entertainment activity that Kazakhs love very much. There are two kinds of horse racing: horse racing and horse racing. Horse racing is faster, more durable, more stable and more beautiful than horses. Generally, adult horses over five years old are used, and the riders are also adults. Horses over five years old are also used in horse racing, and most of the riders participating in horse racing are boys aged 12 or 13. Among Kazakhs, horse racing is not only a personal matter for the contestants, but also an honor for the whole clan and tribe. Weddings and important festivals often hold horse races, and they are often the last finale, which means that once the horse races are over, the celebrations will finally end.

Wrestling at once: Also known as wrestling at once, the way is that the contestants are divided into two groups and compete one by one. The two men competed for strength and dexterity to see who could pull each other off the horse and throw them underground, or pick them up at once. There are many people watching the game, and the onlookers hope that the players of this tribe will win and cheer for the players from time to time.

Tug of war on horseback: two people ride a horse, pull a leather rope more than two meters long, and draw a long field in the middle as the boundary. Whoever rides a well-coordinated horse can pull the other side across the river.

Riding and grabbing cloth: this is one of the recreational activities for Kazakh young people to exercise riding skills. This cloth is about one meter long and its color is red or green. At first, a young man ran with a piece of cloth, and others followed. If the person caught up finds that he is about to be caught up, he must quickly give the cloth to the first person caught up, and then everyone will continue to catch up with the second person who gets the cloth. This is continuous, just like the relay race. Riders cross rivers, mountains and obstacles on the way and have fun until everyone has fun. This kind of activity is mainly to exercise young people's riding skills and will.

Ingot shooting: There are two ways to shoot ingots. One is to shoot an ingot with an arrow; The other is to use a gun ingot. The former is an entertainment activity of selecting archers handed down from ancient times; The latter was formed in modern times. In ancient times, the golden gourd was shot with an arrow, and later it was shot with an arrow. The method is to erect a tall pole, tie a crossbar at its upper end, tie an ingot wrapped in red silk to one end of the crossbar with a thin rope, and break the rope hanging the ingot with an arrow. The contestants galloped from more than a hundred paces and shot arrows at the target at about fifty paces. If you shoot the rope and the ingot falls to the ground, you can get the ingot, which is called "archer". Later, this activity was changed to rifle shooting silver coins.

Kazak's "just show": all ethnic groups have their own ways to express their blessings, such as Tibetan offering Hada, Mongolian offering milk wine, Kazak sprinkling lumps of milk, sugar cubes, fruit candy, Bao 'ershak and so on. When they meet a happy event, this ceremony of expressing blessing and welcome is called "just show", which means sprinkling. When there is a happy event in kazakh steppe, a "benefit performance" should be held to let people scramble to eat and share the joy. When distinguished guests come to the grassland, they should also hold a "benefit performance" to show their respect and welcome. Generally speaking, "Xiu Xiu" is hosted by a woman. This woman must be old, have a complete son, live alone with her husband, and be respected and loved by the masses. It is believed that such women holding "scholar" will bring good luck and happiness. Some "shows" are made by our own people. For example, the first time you milk a horse in summer, you should drink milk tea at the place where you milk the horse and invite your neighbors and relatives to drink it together. At the same time, put some ghee on the pony's head and pony post. At this time, the elderly women at home will sprinkle wedding food and pray for prosperity, good luck and peace.

Ayi Jialeke Dance: Ayi Jialeke Dance, that is, Moon Dance, is a Kazakh folk collective dance widely popular in Altay, which can be arranged by several men and women in a round full moon dance. Dance is characterized by two people jumping in pairs, mostly high-five, tiptoe, * * *, mutual high-five, self-pointing, pointing, double rotation, side rotation, transposition rotation and partner exchange. The rhythm is cheerful, the action range is large, it is quite aesthetic and infectious, and the action is simple and easy to learn. Beginners can master the essentials in ten minutes and become skilled partners in half an hour. Moon dance is a way for young Kazakh men and women to express their feelings. Akon's concert is held on the grassland every year. After a busy day, the old man and children are tired and go back to the yurt to have a rest. The adults gathered in the yurt to raise their glasses and drink. The boys and girls in Seeds of Love are still full of energy. They dance under the moon with cheerful music and disappear in pairs in the dim moonlight ... Visitors can enjoy singing and dancing with local young men and women by the bonfire on the banks of the Irtysh River.

Akon Concert: Akon Concert is one of the oldest and most popular traditional cultural activities of Kazakhs. On holidays, weddings, funerals and even friends come, or on the occasion of bloom every year, the herdsmen who are good at singing and dancing get together, hug each other, improvise poems and sing by themselves. It's called the Akon Concert. Its forms and scales are different, with dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people. There are two kinds of entertainment and singing competitions. The scene is cheerful and warm, forming a strange and beautiful national landscape on the grassland. If tourists visit in person at this time, they will definitely experience the original rich ethnic customs and linger.

Second, taboo.

Kazakhs have many taboos in their daily life, such as not riding a fast horse and rushing into their host's house, because it will be considered as provocation or mourning and sending unlucky news; When you are a guest, you should not sit on the box or other daily necessities where the owner has food. They think that food is given by God and sacred. Don't sit on the bed in the felt room, but sit on the carpet. It is best not to straighten your legs and take off your shoes. When talking and eating, don't cut your nails and yawn, otherwise it is extremely disrespectful to your host; When the host is cooking, guests should not move the tableware, let alone fiddle with the food or lift the lid with their hands; You must not refuse the meat cut by the host for the guest or the bedding that the guest stays overnight, but accept it happily, otherwise the host will think that you look down on him; Before and after meals, the host will pour water to wash the guests' hands. Don't throw your hands after washing, just dry them with a towel. There are also children who can't praise their host's family in person, especially the "fat" children, and they can't praise their livestock and hounds in person. Don't chase the hounds and watchdog of the host family, and don't count the livestock of the host family face to face; You can't cross the ropes that tie livestock; When walking, take a detour when you meet a sheep, and don't ride straight at the sheep; You can't point out the number of people with your hands or sticks, otherwise you will think that you are counting people as livestock; Being a guest in a Kazakh home is generally not more than two days; Unload the borrowed horse when you return it, otherwise it will be considered impolite.

Third, the felt house

Kazakhs have lived a nomadic life for a long time, and invented and created movable houses similar to yurts, which are suitable for nomadic life and easy to move. Kazakh yurts are mainly composed of skeleton, fence, roof, carpet and door. The skeleton of the yurt is made of wicker, and the fence is made of criss-crossing wicker, which can be disassembled freely. The circular top ring is both a roof and a window, which looks like a yurt. It is ventilated and transparent during the day and covered with cold protection at night. The door usually faces southeast. The decoration of yurts has certain characteristics, with a fire pit in the middle, food and cooking utensils in the right half, a bed in the upper right, tapestries with various patterns on the felt wall, carpets on the ground, boxes placed directly above the felt room, mats on the left felt wall, and quilts and pillows on the mats. City residents like to decorate tapestries on the walls of bedrooms or living rooms, and they like colorful ornaments. While enjoying modern life, they still retain the traditional Kazakh culture.

Fourth, the funeral.

Among Kazakhs, there is the idea that the soul is immortal. They think that after death, the soul will leave the human body and exist independently, so they pay special attention to the funeral after death. Funeral is basically in accordance with the canon of * * *. Different from other ethnic groups, whenever someone goes to mourn and bid farewell to the body, the female relatives of the deceased usually hug each other and sing elegies together, telling people about the life of the deceased through this way of crying and singing. After the mourning, according to the regulations, religious people will wash the dead with water according to the numbness, then wrap themselves in white cloth, and finally hold a prayer ceremony for burial.

Verb (short for verb) religion

Kazakhs once believed in primitive religion, Buddhism and Nestorianism. Later, they believed in * * * religion. Even after they believed in * * * religion, they still kept many remains of primitive religions. Such as nature worship, animal and plant worship, ancestor worship, shamanism and so on. * * * religion began to be introduced into kazakh steppe in the 8th century, and gradually occupied a dominant position after15th century. Among the customs and habits of Kazak people, there are two festivals with strong religious colors: Jimin Festival and Eid al-Adha Festival.

Sixth, etiquette

Kazakh people's life etiquette is unique and distinct. They mainly include birth ceremony, cradle ceremony, full moon ceremony, circumcision, wedding and funeral. Unlike the full moon ceremony of Han nationality, the full moon ceremony of Kazak nationality is held on the 40th day after the baby is born. On this day, the washed baby should be specially smeared with sheep oil and shaved.

Among Kazakh families in grass-roots pastoral areas, there is also a custom called "returning children". "Returning children" means that each newly married couple should give the first child born after marriage to the man's biological parents. Grandparents will regard this child as their youngest child. From small to large, no matter at home or outside, it is commensurate with courtesy. A child's sister is his or her real biological parents. Parents should also treat their children as brothers and sisters. This custom is rare among other ethnic groups.

Kazakhs are hospitable, regardless of each other. There is a saying among them: "Part of the heritage of our ancestors is left to our guests. As long as there are Kazakhs along the way, even if you walk for a year, you don't need to bring a grain or a penny. "Of course, in a tourist service area like Kanas, everyone is engaged in business activities, and you may not realize it. But if you have time to visit other remote pastoral areas, you can really appreciate the Kazakh people's innate hospitality and charity.

Kazakhs always greet each other when they meet. Especially when guests from afar visit, the host will not only bring out delicious milk tea, avocado, cheese, candy and other existing foods at home, but also slaughter a fat sheep to entertain the guests as a sign of respect. Kazakh people have many established rules for eating meat, especially sheep's head meat. When the host put the plate on the table, all the guests present prayed first, then the host picked up the sheep's head from the plate, cut a piece of meat on the right cheek of the sheep's head to show the host's hospitality, and then cut off a sheep's ear for the children of the host's family or the young people in the seat. It means to let them listen to their elders and then return the sheep's head to their owners. After the above etiquette, everyone began to cut meat to eat.

Seven, marriage customs

In the past, most Kazak marriages were arranged by their parents, which was an obvious marriage of buying and selling. The success of marriage often depends on the amount of money given. There used to be a saying among Kazakhs that "a beautiful girl is worth 80 horses, and a few daughters in one's life can make a big boss (that is, a big landlord and a monopoly)". Nowadays, this bad custom and concept have changed a lot. Nowadays, Kazakhs still attach great importance to correct marriage and mate selection. In addition, the man's family also pays special attention to the woman's mother. They have a proverb: "Mother is the shadow of her daughter. Mother is good, daughter can't be wrong. " According to Kazakh customs, close relatives of the same tribe, especially those within seven generations, cannot get married. The wedding of Kazakhs is very grand. Before marriage, there will be a series of visits and holiday entertainment activities. They are as enthusiastic, happy and happy about any marriage in the clan and tribe as they are about their own wedding. On the wedding day, both men, women and singers will sing many conventional wedding songs. Among them, when the bride finally leaves her parents and family, she will sing a farewell song with her parents and relatives. When a girl returns to her parents' home for the first time after marriage, her parents will also give her a generous gift. Generally, 100 sheep and 15 horses will be given if conditions permit. Those with poor conditions should also try their best to show some performance. After Kazakh people get married, the division of labor between men and women in daily production and life is very clear, which belongs to the typical "male master outside, female master inside"