The living traditions of the peoples of Russia were discussed at the meeting of the INTERNATIONAL DISCUSSION CLUB “VISION 3000” at which Safiullova Rima Gumerovna acted as a speaker.
Rima Gumerovna is the General Director of Agrofirma Kolos LLC. The head of the public organization of Tatar women “Ak Kalfak” of the Tetyushsky municipal district under the Regional public organization of Tatar women “Ak Kalfak” and the World Congress of Tatars of the Republic of Tatarstan. The official representative of the International Women’s Union in the Republic of Tatarstan. The head of the All-Russian public Fund “Tatar family” of the Tetyushsky municipal district.Deputy om of the Syundyukovsky rural settlement of the Tetyushsky municipal district.
Rimma Gumerovna told about the Culture and traditions of the Tatar people.
The foundation of nationality is folk culture
The foundation of any nationality is folk culture. Knowledge of the basics of folk life, rituals and traditions helps to foster interest and respect for the native culture of other peoples and is one of the sides of human education.
Tatars are the second largest people in Russia. They have long lived both on the territory of Tatarstan and in other regions of the country. According to the antiquity of their origin and the richness of their cultural traditions, they are one of the most widely known ethnic groups in Russia.
Sabantuy – the plow festival
Tatar folk festivals delight with the beauty and gratitude of people to nature, to the customs of their ancestors. One of the brightest holidays is Sabantuy. He has gathered all the best from the distant past of the Tatar people and its present. The name of the holiday comes from the Turkic words “saban” (plow) and “tui” (holiday). This day is timed to coincide with the end of sowing, so it is celebrated in the summer.
Last year, Sabantuy was celebrated in 59 regions of Russia and 37 countries around the world.
It is also celebrated on a large scale and widely in the Tetyushsky district.
In 2023, for the first time in the district, I organized a collection of gifts for Sabantuy.
This tradition of the Tatar people has been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries. If echoes of this ceremony could still be found in the villages of the Tetyushsky district, then it was never held in the city itself.
In national costumes, with songs and dances to the accordion, the participants of the event marched through the streets of the city. The procession was accompanied by a horse cart decorated with colorful ribbons and flowers.
The holiday began near the house of a large family. The hosts prepared thoroughly, set a table with treats for the children, presented them with sweet gifts, and presented the organizers with prepared gifts. The children demonstrated their skills in the Tatar national koresh wrestling.
Then the procession, led by young men who carried a long pole with towels tied to it, continued its way through the streets of the city. On the way, the townspeople were waiting for her at the houses, gave her gifts and, following an ancient custom, danced to the fervent harmony music.
The main festive action unfolded in the city center, where activists of the gift collection were waiting for people with gifts for the most successful, strong, savvy participants of folk games and competitions. With wishes of kindness, prosperity and a generous harvest, they put gifts in a large basket, tied towels to a pole.
Nothing holds any nation together like cultural customs and traditions. Preserving our native language, culture, traditional spiritual and moral guidelines, passing them on to the younger generation, and reviving national education is our future. I am very glad that we are contributing to this cause.
The Sabantuy regional holiday is held annually on the picturesque Maidan in the southern part of Tetyusha, in a clearing near a forest area.
As part of the holiday, an exhibition of agricultural machinery is organized, national farmsteads are operating, viewers witness a theatrical prologue, sports competitions – Tatar-Bashkir koresh wrestling, pole climbing, bag fighting on a log, running with a rocker arm and other competitions, horse racing, tug-of-war are held.
The customs and cuisine of the Tatars are widely represented in the Tatar improvised courtyard. It gets hot on the wrestling mat, where boys and men of different ages come together in duels for the title of the absolute batyr of Sabantuy.
Horse racing is at all times the center of the plough festival events. Graceful horses and brave riders attract the attention of the guests of the holiday from afar. Numerous devoted fans of equestrian sports gather at the racetrack, because there is no substitute for the energy of horse racing.
Sabantuy is celebrated in all rural settlements of the Tetyushsky district.
Goose Feather Festival
Another holiday, the holding of which has become traditional for us, is “Kaz omase” – “Goose Feather Festival”.
Since ancient times, in Tatar villages, with the onset of cold weather, when the first snow fell on the ground, the villagers harvested goose meat for the winter. And to make the work go faster and more fun, they were helped by relatives, friends, neighbors, because they had to pluck several dozen geese. Such holidays are not only help in business, entertainment and acquaintance with future daughters—in-law – it is a school of femininity, home economics, cheerful traditions, carefully preserved since time immemorial.
Residents of the Tatar villages of the Tetyushsky district traditionally keep a lot of geese, so we hold the Kaz Omese holiday annually in different villages.
The hostess of the house where the ceremony is held bakes fresh bread, pies, and kystyby from early morning to feed and give fragrant tea to the guests.
The process of plucking geese has its own peculiarity and is accompanied by songs and jokes. Women compete with each other in the skills of plucking, jokes and singing songs.
The culmination of the ceremony is a collective trip to a river or spring — the ritual of washing the carcass of a bird in water, then hanging them for a stack of excess water, then rubbing them with salt for drying. During the procession, its goose feather participants scatter goose feathers. There is a sign: if there is enough feather and the spring itself, then next year the number of geese in the village will increase.
Traditionally, on the day of the “Kaz Omas”, people prepare goose meat for the future and pinch down on pillows, blankets, which will be used for the bride’s dowry. At the end of the work, all participants and guests gather at a set table. The hostess of the house brings guests a variety of Tatar dishes, among which, of course, is a large goose meat balash.
Singing ditties, fervent songs, women do not leave the hospitable house for a long time.
Spring comes with Navruz
The calendar cycle of national holidays and rituals of the Tatar people begins with Navruz, which was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox (March 21) according to the solar calendar.
The holiday of the arrival of spring is one of the favorite among the residents of the Tetyushsky district.
Traditionally, we hold it in rural Houses of Culture. The friendly organizers of the event greet the guests cheerfully and fervently, with bread and salt, songs to the accordion. The aroma of porridge, which is cooked in a huge cauldron over a campfire, spread throughout the neighborhood.
It is customary to arrange folk festivals and lavish feasts in Navruz. Therefore, national cuisine is the main feature of the holiday. An abundance of food, according to beliefs, will provide a rich harvest.
A theatrical performance of the meeting of the hosts of the holiday – Santa Claus and the girl of Spring – Navruzbiki is also organized.
On the same day, the ceremony “Karga botkasy” (“Rook porridge”) is held. It is based on the veneration of higher powers in order to receive their blessings and a rich harvest in the coming year. In the old days, people believed that rooks brought spring on the tips of their wings. According to the ritual, on one of the days of early spring, children go home to collect cereals, milk, butter, eggs. Porridge is prepared from the collected products for collective treats, and its remains are treated to a bird.
Religion and culture
In addition to those holidays that I have told you about, in order to preserve the traditions and customs of the Tatar people, popularize the Tatar language, “Tatar-kyzy” and “Tatar-Malai” contests are held annually in the Tetyushsky district, the harvest festival “Sumbulya”, ancient Tatar youth holidays – gatherings Aulak-oi, “Kichke uen” and others.
Much attention is paid to the holding of religious holidays, such as Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Adha, and the organization of iftars. In the village of Bolshye Atryasi, “Atryasi readings” are held annually, which gather public figures and scientists from all over Tatarstan. At the ancient cemetery, where tombstones of the Bulgarian times have been preserved, the deceased are remembered and prayers are read.
Representatives of the regional associations “Ak Kalfak” and “Tatar family” make a great contribution to the organization and holding of holidays. Creative teams stage Tatar rituals on the regional and rural stages, participate in festive events of various levels with musical and dance numbers. Tatar national costumes were specially sewn for this purpose.
The potential of the tourism industry is to get to know the traditions.
Historical sites, a rich museum fund, interesting tourist programs and routes make our area more and more attractive for inbound tourism.
Compared to the previous year, the tourist flow increased by 20 percent in 2023: about 200 thousand tourists visited the area. The number of ship calls increased by 31 percent, meteors and bus tours increased by 4 times.
Within the framework of the federal project “Development of tourism infrastructure” of the national project “Tourism and the Hospitality Industry”, work is underway on the improvement and construction of the infrastructure of the Tyubetey Tower project.
This unique facility, as well as the increasing number of tourists wishing to visit our area every year, will provide an opportunity to acquaint residents and guests of the area with the traditions of the Tatar people on a larger scale. It is planned to include a demonstration of his way of life, fragments of national holidays in the program of the tourist route through the Tetyushsky district.
Preserving the past, creating the future
We live in times of great change, when humanity is threatened by the spiritual impoverishment of the individual, the danger of losing moral guidelines. Familiarity with the traditions and customs of the people helps to cultivate a love for its history and culture, as well as contributes to the preservation of the past.
Tatar customs, traditions and folk art are very colorful, interesting, and mysterious. The main thing is to carefully preserve them, pass them on from generation to generation, instill a love for the old, for the origins. Introducing a person to folk traditions makes him cleaner and kinder.
Фото ГБУ “Московский дом национальностей”