State Naadam Festival

Naadam Festival – The Three Games of Men

For Mongolians, the highlight of summer is the Naadam Festival, which takes place on July 11-13 every year. It is celebrated in all provinces, and the administrative districts of Mongolia, with the biggest festivities in Ulan Bator.

Naadam are the “three games of men” and around them, there is always a hustle and bustle. A merry crowd gathers and competitions are held in three disciplines: wrestling, horse racing, and archery. The victors, especially in wrestling, are given due respect and receive high prizes. The tradition of the Naadam is very old and probably goes back to the time of the Huns and Old Turks. Chinggis Khan tested the suitability of his warriors with these competitions.

The festival is an occasion for everyone to meet with family and friends Ger camps are set up around the venues. Some trucks or trailers become mobile shops during the festivities: Goods are offered for sale, it’s like a fair at our place. All visitors are dressed in festive clothes. It smells of food, horse manure, and Alcohol because the Airag also flows freely. Traditionally, the horses are treated before and after the race doused with it, it’s supposed to bring good luck. But he is also very fond of drinking.

Mongolian Wrestling

Wrestling is a national sport in Mongolia, as is soccer. Even the little boys practice it. Women aren’t allowed, and there’s a reason for that: There’s a legend that says that once upon a time, an unknown warrior smashed down and defeated one opponent after the other in a very short time. In the end, it turned out to be a woman. Since then we have had to fight bare-chested so that such a disgrace can no longer happen.

The wrestlers at the Naadam festival are stubborn, have plump thighs, and wear skimpy red or blue panties and a bolero-style top with long sleeves. The chest and abdomen remain bare. The fighters wear knee-high embroidered boots with turned-up toes and holiday hats. Everyone performs the so-called eagle dance before the wrestling match. In the beginning, they give the holiday hat to a trustworthy person, because whoever loses his hat is threatened with bad luck.

There are no weight and age classes. Whoever touches the ground with any part of their body other than the soles of their feet loses. The loser must walk under the outstretched arms of the stronger, as a gesture of submission. After five opponents the winner may call himself a falcon, after seven a hawk, after eight a garuda and the winner of the tournament is the lion. He is revered as a hero in the region, and the names of past winners are famous across the country. The prize money is also very high.

Horse Racing

Horse racing can hardly be compared with events of this kind. The only similarity is that horses are ridden by jockeys over a specific race course. Depending on the age of the animals, the race distance is between 15 and 35 kilometers; there is no set route. The riders are children between the ages of five and twelve – girls can also take part in this competition. The winner is whoever reaches the finish line first. At the end, the first five riders are awarded as well as the last of the field. The real winners are the breeders of the horses, who receive cash prizes, honors, and gifts in kind. At the finish, the victors are followed by the crowd because touching their horses is supposed to bring good luck.

Archery

Finally, archery is held, a discipline that both men and women can practice. The aim of the shooters is the sur, a wall of brown or gray baskets with a red basket in the middle. With each hit, a basket is taken away, so that the target becomes smaller and smaller. Riflemen and women must have a very keen eye, a steady hand, and a lot of experience. Women shoot from a distance of 60 meters, men from 75 meters. The bows are so-called composite bows, which means they are made of different materials: elastic birch wood, bark, bamboo, horn, and animal sinew.

They are decorated with many carvings, each arch is unique. A shooter has four arrows with a camel bone tip with eagle or vulture feathers attached to the shaft for stabilization in flight. The aim is always to the south. In this discipline, too, the winner enjoys high social recognition. Many girls practice diligently to become good archers. The archery champions enjoy cult status in Mongolia.

In Ulan Bator, archery and wrestling take place around or at Naadam Stadium, the National Sports Stadium. The horse race is held outside of Ulan Bator. The opening ceremony with the heads of state is the highlight of the summer festival.

The Naadam Festival takes place in the provincial capitals and of course in Ulaanbaatar in mid-July every year. The National Festival is the highlight of summer and is longed for by most Mongolians. You measure yourself in various competitions in sports such as wrestling, archery, and horse racing. Wrestling is the number one national sport, it has about the same status as football in our country. It is advisable to visit the Naadam Festival in the smaller rural aimag centers as it is very commercial in Ulaanbaatar and it is difficult to get close to the action.