NARDUGAN
NARDUGAN is a traditional holiday connected with the beginning of a new calendar year (See Christmas). It was celebrated twice a year. Winter N. (December 25 - February 5) marked the beginning of increasing daylight and coincided the coldest days. On the first day children used to visit their neighbors to announce the beginning of the holiday. The neighbors gave them sweets. People used to gather together in one of the houses, each neighbor would bring some food with him. The elderly people would utter special prayers, wished all the best, asked the Sun and the Old Frost for good weather, plenty of harvest, safe and sound life. In order to forecast the next year, the guests used to ask allegorical questions to the hosts and find signs. The girls gathered separately. The celebration would continue outside: people would sing, dance, play ethnic games and youth games. In the following days people would visit their neighbors. Summer N (Bashkir tebigette ayau kondere, Mari kuso, kuso kumaltysh; Chuvash sinse; June 21 - July 5) is connected with the summer solstice and takes place from June 21 to July 5, it coincides with the beginning of the hottest days. It included the rite called “protected day”. It was forbidden to hunt animals and birds, slaughter cattle, cut hay. This period was considered to be the best to collect medicinal plants. People used to throw different wildflowers into water wishing for a good summer. Ancient people used to sacrifice a white horse to honor the highest deity, the Sun and Earth-Water (see Feast of sacrifice). N. was believed to propitiate nature’s powers. The celebratory tradition has been restored since the 1990’s in RB.
R.A. Sultangareyeva