The emergence of a holiday Sabantuy associated with agricultural work. This is reflected even in the very name of the holiday: "Saban" is a spring (in another sense of the word - "plow"), "tui" - "wedding", "celebration". All together means a celebration in honor of the sowing of spring crops.
As soon as the snow melted from the fields, the old aksakals gathered and agreed on the day of Sabantuy. Before the appointed day, children in festive new clothes (always in new bast shoes with white cloth stockings) went home a little light to collect cereals, milk, butter, eggs. The hostesses already baked buns, nuts and dough sweets specially for the children in advance.
In some villages the hostess sat the first boy who entered the house on a pillow and said: "Let your leg be light, Let there be many chickens and chickens"... The first one was necessarily given eggs, and he got more presents than the others. And today Sabantuy is celebrated in June, when the cycle of spring field work is completed (usually on June 25).
When the time of the holiday approaches, dzhigits (young boys) on horseback ride out to collect gifts for the winner in the competition. And no one refuses them. The villagers willingly donate embroidered scarves, chintz pieces, shirts and chicken eggs for the common holiday.
In some villages up to 50 of the best horses are sometimes saddled. Collected shirts, scarves, towels are attached to the horse's harness. The more gifts are collected, the richer the rider's horse is decorated. If the young men collect gifts without a horse, they tie themselves crosswise with a towel and hang all the gifts on it.
A particularly valuable gift is a towel with woven patterns. It is prepared by young women married between the last two Sabantuys. The collection of gifts takes place with funny jokes, practical jokes, songs and jokes.
On the day of Sabantuy, a long pole with a beautiful towel tied to it is set up on the Maidan on a spacious meadow not far from the village. People flock to the festival from all over the area: they go on foot, and families ride on horses. From the chests everyone gets their best outfits for this day. The harness and manes of horses are also decorated with patterned towels, flowers, bells.
Copper pipes force the kopush to hurry up, who dress up for a long time in their best outfits and take out of the chests the jewelry they inherited from their great-grandmothers. Guys hurry their girlfriends with jokes and jokes. After all, the competition is about to begin!
Competitions begin with races, and no Sabantuy is complete without them. The horses participating in the competition are taken 10-15 kilometers away from the village, and the finish line is arranged near the Maidan. The prizes that the winners in the races receive are then tied to the necks of their horses so that everyone can see that this horse with a shawl fluttering behind its mane is deserved!
While the horses are still far away, they race on the Maidan. First, the boys compete. The old men take them away from the Maidan, and on command they rush at full speed to the pole with a towel - the flag of Sabantuy!
In another place at this time the national sash wrestling takes place. Two old men begin it, then boys, young men and middle-aged men come out in turn. The winner of all fights is called Batyr Sabantuy. From now on, he will become a celebrity. They will compose songs about him, tell legends. But that's not all! With raised hands, the winner must carry away the ram, which was presented to him as a gift.
And, of course, as at any holiday, on Sabantui one cannot do without playful competitions. How not to have fun watching how desperate horsemen try to climb a smooth post or fight with bags, sitting on a log! General fun also reigns where there is a run with a spoon in his mouth, in which, in addition, an egg is placed.
But most of all laughter is caused by athletes in whom the leg of one is tied to the leg of the other. One pair hobbles in front, striving for victory, but then another one overtakes it. It's more fun than getting a coin from a deep dish with sour lips. There used to be such a competition.
The origins of the celebration of Sabantui go deep (antiquity and are associated with the agrarian cult. This is evidenced by its name: Saban means "spring", or in another sense - "plow", and tui - "wedding", "celebration". Thus, the meaning of the word sabantuy is a celebration in honor of the sowing of spring crops.The initial purpose of the ceremony, obviously, was to appease the spirits of fertility in order to promote a good harvest in the new year. With the change in the economic way of life, magic rituals lost their meaning, but many of them continued to exist already as In the 19th century, Sabantuy was already just a merry folk holiday, which marked the beginning of very difficult, laborious agricultural work. Only in some places survivals have survived, indicating the initial connection of Sabantuy with magic.
Sabantuya is celebrated in the following stages: 1) preparing porridge for children from products collected by them from the population (dere botkasy); 2) children collecting colored eggs; 3) collection of eggs by young men on horseback and a treat after it (atly svrzn); 4) the collection of eggs by mummers (men) (zheyaule soren) - the latter is not always and not everywhere; 5) collecting gifts for the sabantui (by young men on horseback); 6) maidan - competition; 7) evening youth games.
SABANTUI - HOLIDAY OF LABOR, HOPE AND FRIENDSHIP
Sabantuy is the first summer holiday, the holiday of the plow and field work. It passes between two important field works - sowing and haymaking.
Sabantuy is a boil of life that captures everyone in its whirlpool.
Sabantuy is a return to your origins, a return to your native environment.
When we see our dances full of energy, we hear our native tunes, we feel pride in our people, who managed, despite adversity, to preserve the traditions that embody what the Tatars have cherished for centuries - this is inspired work, the joy of creation, a deep sense of solidarity. (R.S. Akchurin)
Sabantuy is not only a holiday of spring, but also a holiday of hope. It was held on our lands even in the most difficult times. Even in the post-war years, when people lived hard and poor, Sabantui was always celebrated. These days, people freed themselves from everyday hardships and worries, they rested in heart and soul, wonderful talents were revealed in them, and hope for the future was awakened. (R.M.Smakov)
Sabantuy is not only the name of our most popular national holiday. The name has long grown into a concept, into an image of the worldview, as such, by the way, it entered the consciousness of the Russian people. Remember the beginning of the immortal poem by A. Tvardovsky "Vasily Terkin"? Our common favorite - a soldier, talks about three types of Sabantuy in war - small, medium and main (M.A.Gareev)
Since time immemorial, the Tatars had 2 holidays Sabantuy and Zhyen. Over time, being close in content, they merged together into one Sabantuy. Previously, the holiday was celebrated before the spring sowing, a number of rituals of the agrarian cult and folk games were adhered to - wrestling, horse racing, breaking pots. Now it is already a national holiday of the Tatars, which is usually arranged after the end of spring field work. Sabantuy is a vivid expression of the Tatars' love for the land nurse and honest work, after the completion of which it is not a sin to have fun from the heart! Nowadays, Sabantuy has ceased to be a closed holiday, crossing national borders, thereby becoming a holiday of friendship. Other peoples actively and willingly participate in it - Udmurds, Chuvash, Russians. (E.R. Tenishev)
INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY SABANTUI
In the annual calendar of all agricultural peoples, sowing and harvesting are considered the most important stages. So, the Tatar people have a big holiday "Sabantuy", which means the holiday of the plow. It is carried out at the end of sowing, because spring sowing was considered the most appropriate moment to introduce adolescents to independent work. As the Tatar proverb says "From the beginning work, and honor will come later." Indeed, the mother, the closest relatives, went to the field to look at the miracle: a son, a young man, makes the first furrow in his life on his own. The peoples who lived side by side for many years, not only did not quarrel, but on the contrary, there was a continuity of cultures, customs, and way of life.
Sabantuy is full of smart, active games and competitions. Yes, "the covenants of the ancestors will not blow the winds away." At the holiday there were many "cans" of what the Koran forbade. So, according to Muslim precepts, a woman could not appear in public places with men, and women came to Sabantuy. Sharia demanded that the bride, and especially the groom, be chosen by the parents, and on the Sabantui young people themselves met, danced in a circle, and fell in love. Rarely has a guy not hatched the hope to please a girl, to show her what he is capable of. As folk wisdom says: "A horse is recognized only in a sleigh team, and a hero - in a swearing fight." The presence of girls at the Sabantui, and they did not take part in the competitions, were only spectators, inspired the horsemen, made them courageous. "The possible - everyone will do, the impossible - the courageous." The man, who became a horseman of the aul, traveled to other villages for competitions. He was freed from hard work, protected. In the very organization of Sabantuy there was a principle: "Do not offend, do not offend, do not humiliate any person. No one should leave with a heavy heart, with resentment."
Sabantui has one special feature. His approach was awaited not only by a Tatar, but also by a Russian, Chuvash, and Mari. Sabantuy gradually became an international holiday. On this holiday, the Tatar invited a fellow villager of any nationality. These peoples made many additions to the celebration of Sabantui. Truly "to walk among the fields - to know the earth, to walk among people - to recognize the people". Sabantuy is characterized by an amazing unity of spectators and speakers. Each of those present at any time could join in the competition, because they were familiar to everyone, understood, and were unanimously accepted by everyone. They could be thought up by an energetic, kind and cheerful people. Wrestling - belts smoking, horse racing, many others, no less exciting. We choose games based on our capabilities, but no less interesting. I would like to draw your attention to what is gone, forgotten ...
So the prizes that were presented to the winners of the competition were being prepared all winter. They were cooked only by young women who got married after the last sabantui. Skull-caps, purses, tobacco pouches were embroidered with beads and threads, mittens and camisoles were sewn. They also competed in needlework in their own way. But the most honorable (just honorable, and not expensive) gift was considered an embroidered towel - tastimal. He was hanged in the center of the Maidan on a pole, presented at the end of the Sabantuy to the newly-minted batyr. He carried him away with a pole, making a circle of honor (usually at the end of the celebration). Today we will also present the towel of our Sabantuy to the batyr of the competition. The Sabantuy holiday ended with the youth festivities until the morning. There were round dances, songs were sung, violins, mandolins, accordions ...
Now in Kazan, during the summer solstice, the republican Sabantuy is held, which has become a national holiday. A wonderful holiday of unity and fun - sabantuy, live and make people happy. Whatever momentum and speed the history gains, you remain as your strong, energetic people, rich in creativity and wisdom. "Throw it into the mud - a diamond is always a diamond" - the proverb says, as if specifically about Sabantui ... Do not forget, people, Sabantui traditions, appreciate its solar energy, respect the national culture of the people who have enriched our lives with wonderful customs and traditions.
Sabantuy
It is difficult to determine the exact time of Sabantui's origin. It is only clear that he was born and developed together with the formation of the Tatar people, at a time when his main economic activity was arable farming. From a holiday of a separate ethnographic group in the twentieth century, Sabantuy turned into a general Tatar holiday, which is celebrated everywhere where Tatars live.
Centuries have been polishing the form of Sabantui. It is born of the people and embodies the national ethics, the tastes of the people, its long traditions and its ingenuity. Initially, a "quiet" rural holiday has become a bright and large-scale celebration. And that's great. But at the same time, the danger of "erosion" of the special colors of the national holiday, its national meaning is growing.
Back in the early twentieth century, a whole discussion unfolded on the pages of Tatar newspapers: do the Tatars need djien and Sabantuy? Religious leaders, especially academic traditionalists, said that these holidays lead to the spread of drunkenness, and urged to limit themselves to purely religious rites. But then the people did not give offense to their Sabantuy. True, in the time of conscience, Sabantuy was combined with djien, elements of Soviet ideology were introduced into it, but basically Sabantuy survived.
From time immemorial Sabantuy has been celebrated as the meeting of spring. Rejoicing at the approach of the Muslim New Year, it was celebrated before the start of the most important work for a farmer - sowing spring crops. When shoots appeared, they collected jien - a guest holiday. There was a sequence: for example, in the morning the residents of the neighborhood visited one village, in the afternoon - in another. This is so that everyone in the district has the opportunity to attend the competitions of neighbors. And in Soviet times, spring Sabantuy and summer djien united. For a long time and in vain I searched for documents that recorded this moment. What was it: a resolution of the regional party committee or something else? It turns out that this is just a recommendation of the regional committee in the form of a newspaper article: to time the Sabantuy and Djien folk holiday to the Republic Day, which was celebrated on June 25. And that was enough. So Sabantui from a self-producing element of culture turned into a regulated one. In Tatarstan, even now, a single date for holding it for villages, regional centers is announced, then a date for large cities, as well as the date of the final Sabantuy in the capital of the Republic - Kazan.
So, we quite easily switched to summer Sabantuy, having lost its essence as a spring holiday. If for the majority of urban Tatars it was painless, then the villagers, it seems to me, have lost a lot. Indeed, in the countryside, the meeting of spring for those whose life and work are connected with the earth and the natural cycle, Sabantuy is a means of invaluable communication, comprehension of a simple and great truth: I am not alone.
In our villages, from time immemorial, it was customary: this is work clothes, and this is weekend clothes. During the expedition, I somehow ended up in the family of an advanced milkmaid. At that time, krimplen was in vogue, it had just appeared and there was a terrible shortage. And the foremost workers in agriculture were given cuts as a reward. The milkmaid made her own outfits. She opened the wardrobe, showing not without pride: they say, look how much I have in total. And then she added with sadness: there is nowhere to dress, there are few weddings, there are no holidays, one job.
We have lost the anticipation of the holiday, the preparatory stage for it. One day of amusement cannot provide such satisfaction. Previously, the Tatars prepared for Sabantuy for a long time - they bought food for the festive table, prepared gifts, thought over what people would wear. A person must try on: aha, he will definitely take part in races or on the run, because he is good at it. Not to mention the fact that the whole house and yard, and even behind the gates, was scraped out to perfect cleanliness.
And directly the holiday preparations began with "karga botkasy" (or zere botkasy - rook porridge). There is only one holiday, but the names are different in each area. It gave people pride, the feeling that it was theirs. This is what folk psychology is all about.
First, the children walked through the village and collected cereals. Then the eggs were painted. The dyeing process itself was a big event for them. Once we carried out Navruz in one of the Kazan schools as an experiment. Before this holiday, eggs are also supposed to be painted. The disciples brought a sack of onion husks from home. Each class had an electric stove. You should have seen the delight of children from the procedure itself! One girl, in order not to lose her egg in the total mass, wrapped it with an elastic band from her hair. When they took out the testicle, it turned out to be patterned. What started here: other girls urgently began to look for at least something to highlight their eggs. That's where fantasy, creativity!
Children collected dyed eggs from home. The ceremony was called yomyrka horse (egg day). The very process of collecting eggs excited the whole village.
Firstly, everyone was worried about who would be the first to enter your house. The Tatars say - ayagy zhinel (literally - an easy leg). A man with a light foot will bring happiness, good luck, prosperity to the house. For example, among the Chepetsk Tatars in the north of Udmurtia and in the Kirov region they specially invited some Maryam apa, who has a "light leg": come to us, please, early. There, in the villages, the rule was very strictly adhered to: if a person is sick or crippled, then he generally tried not to leave the house that day. At the Kryashens, if a child came in first, he was immediately seated on a pillow that lay on the threshold. We observed: if the child does not run, the chickens will be brought out, and if the child does not sit, he strives to get up as soon as possible - the cockerels will be born ...
Unfortunately, this rite, like many others, has been lost in most Tatar villages. In Soviet times, educators, deciding that picking cereals and eggs was begging, declared war on him.
In 1959, having just graduated from the pedagogical institute, I was assigned to one of the Mishar villages of the Penza region. On one of the pre-holiday days, the kids brought eggs to school. I gladly go into the teacher's room and say: "Yomarka horse!" So, senior colleagues scolded me as a delinquent girl ...
Meanwhile, in folk rituals there is a great educational force. Just imagine: the kids gather in a crowd to collect cereals and eggs. Everyone in the company is brave. But the leader is sure to come to light. Children walk through the village and chant jokes. In the village of Nizhnie Shuni (Vyatsko-Polyansky district of the Kirov region), one grandmother remembered the following call:
"Der-der, derege,
Irten toryp, berse konge sorenge
Soren Sukkan - Bai Bulgan,
Temeke tartkan - yuk bulgan.
Hi-high-high, dealer
Gali abzy bai, dealer,
Berer Kashyk May Dealer!
("Gift, give, I give it. In a day - soren. Whoever participates in soren will be rich, whoever smokes will be poor. Hai-hai-hai, they say, Uncle Gali is rich, they say, give a spoonful of butter, they say ").
R. Mukhametzyanov recorded the following call:
"Karga eite: kar, kar
Tuem zhitte, barr, barr,
Yarma, kukey alyp bar,
Sot maenna salyp bar,
Epey, Iten Alyp Bar,
Barr, barr, barr "
("The crow says: kar, kar, my feast has come, come, come, grain, eggs, bring milk, butter, bread, meat, come, come, come").
Children expressed different wishes in each house, invented by themselves. A successful, witty verse will sound - it means that the owner will give more. And being greedy in aul was a shame.
After the children, they went on horseback to collect the eggs of the youth, also in a gang and with songs. The ceremony was called "Soren Sugu". But the hostesses have already distributed all the colored eggs. So the guys will get only raw ones. The eggs were collected in a wicker purse. When they passed the last house, the cleverest one snatched this purse and started galloping away from the others. And in the evening, a bachelor party was often arranged, to which only those who began to marry gathered. Here they fought, danced, sang.
One old grandmother told me an interesting story. During Soren Sugu, the girl was allowed to present the bundle of eggs to the boy she liked. The main value of this knot was in a girl's handkerchief. The girl thus expressed her sympathy. It is clear that the young man who received such a bundle was in seventh heaven. But one of the horsemen, who was actively caring for the local beauty, treacherously deserted to another. The beauty turned out to be also a clever girl: she just publicly presented the dzhigit with a bundle of eggs, but then everyone saw: an egg on top, and pebbles under it ...
Now in many places all the troubles of preparing for Sabantuy have been shifted onto the shoulders of club workers, members of the village council, and even more often they literally knock out gifts from sponsors. But folk traditions are completely different. In Zakazanye, for example, mature men walked from house to house, walked with a pole, or even two. Donated scarves, ribbons, stockings were hung to this pole. The more beautiful the towel, the higher it was tied on a pole. In the Kukmorsky region of Tatarstan, gifts were collected by foot boys. Their breasts were decorated with criss-cross tied towels, to which gifts were tied. By the end of the walk around the streets, these youths looked like ornate Christmas trees. In the early 60s, I visited the village "Zay-Karatay" in the Leninogorsk region of Tatarstan. There the young men collected future prizes for Sabantui on horseback. The most valuable among the gifts was a scarf or a towel, woven or embroidered by a young woman: it was used to judge her skill: "nindi bulgan kyz!" The most generous (not necessarily expensive) gifts were thanked publicly. They knew how to thank, they knew how to publicly praise!
And now the culmination of the holiday is the Maidan. It lasted one day. The venue was changed every year. We spent Sabantuy in the part of the fields where there were couples today. A very wise decision. I recall with horror one incident in Bavly at the end of the 60s. I had to travel around the districts with pre-holiday consultations. The spring ones have already risen. So, in one collective farm, they "cut" a path along them in the field especially for horse races. Probably, this happens now too. Indeed, in some districts, Sabantuy is held with such fanfare! Stands with flags and lanterns, a separate stand for guests of honor and a special buffet for them are installed. But Sabantuy has always been democratic! Only aksakals played a special role on the festive Maidan. Aksakal is a respected person in the village, whose word is listened to. Now, when we, leaving on an expedition, talk about this, we are answered: but they are not. Where to get wise non-drinking old people ?! In the old days, they kept order during Sabantuy, they had the last word in identifying the batyr.
Since when did they start drinking on our Sabantuys? After all, there were no outlets at this holiday before. The races passed - the people went home. People drank tea, and an hour later they gathered again on the Maidan. Food stalls are a phenomenon of the era of widespread shortages, when there was nowhere to buy good sweets and gingerbread. True, during the jien, they arranged a sale: merchants and peddlers came specially with their goods. A young man could buy a girl a scarf, ribbon, nuts. Every village grandmother remembers the fragrant "kyzyl bille gingerbread". By this day, every child was saving money ...
Today's Sabantuy often results in the pursuit of valuable prizes. Very expensive gifts! When this turns into an end in itself, when professional sportsmen-dischargers go to the Maidan, and a person who does not have a category no longer dares to go to the Maidan, this is not a national holiday, but a sports event. The very nature of the holiday is changing, it becomes a spectacle for the people, and not a holiday of the people themselves. And this is not Sabantuy at all!
Of course, a lot of interesting things have appeared. Some competitions are perceived today as traditional, although they appeared in the 20th century. For example, running in bags, with a yoke on your shoulders, with an egg in a spoon, climbing a pole, wrestling on a log with bags. These comic competitions came to us from Russian fairs and from booths. And they caught on precisely because they increased the opportunities for people to participate in the festive action - in particular, women. There were attempts to introduce chess and checkers into Sabantuy, but they were abandoned. And, in my opinion, they did the right thing: do not break up the participants in Sabantui, because this is a common, collective holiday.
And one more thing: there should be a measure in everything. For example, finding a coin in a katyk by plunging your face into it can be fun, but also unsightly. I have interviewed old people in many regions and they unanimously assert: this is not a folk tradition.
Folk traditions are the national wealth bequeathed by our ancestors. And the covenants must be treated with care and intelligence. There is no dispute: time brings its own trends to traditions. But these trends must be carefully and competently sifted through folk psychology: it is not mistaken. She gave birth to a wonderful holiday of Sabantuy, and she should be its director.
Customs and holidays of the Tatars R.K. Urazmanova
In the vast territory from Tambov - in the west, to Omsk - in the east and from Perm and Kirov - in the north, to Astrakhan - in the south, the Tatars live in compact groups. It is the second largest (according to the 1989 census, about 7 million people) and the largest of the Turkic peoples of the Russian Federation. The Tatar language belongs to the Kypchak group of Turkic languages. The traditional religion of the Tatars is Islam, with the exception of a small group of Tatars who were converted to Orthodoxy in the 16th - 18th centuries. This is what they call themselves: “Kryashen” - “baptized”. Among the Tatar holidays there are both religious (Muslim) and secular (non-religious) ones.
Tatar men's and women's festive costume
Feast on the occasion of the end of fasting
The holiday began with a collective morning prayer - Gaet namaz, in which all the male population, including boys, took part. When weather conditions permitted, such services were held in the open air, not far from cemeteries; in bad weather - in mosques. Then they went to the cemetery, where everyone performed namaz near the graves of their loved ones. Meanwhile, the women were preparing a festive meal at home. Breakfast was started only when the men returned. On holidays (Uraza gaete lasted three days), they went around the houses of relatives and neighbors with congratulations.
Time to cook porridge
"Karga botkasy" is the name of this rite in the Tatar villages. When thawed patches appeared, the hills and hills around the village were cleared of snow, the venerable elders of the auls - aksakals - told the children that it was time to cook porridge. Boys and girls in groups of several walked around the houses at their end of the village and collected food. One hostess will give cereals - millet, spelled or buckwheat, another - eggs, the third - butter. Everything will work for porridge! And so that the owners were more generous, children often prepared in advance various chants, which they shouted in chorus as they approached the house. Then, taking with us a large cauldron, some firewood, we went into nature. There, under the guidance of one or two elderly women, they prepared porridge from the collected products for a collective treat. And after the meal, children's amusements and games began. From that time, preparations began for the holiday - Sabantuyu.
Collecting colored eggs
This ceremony did not have a special name. The villagers were notified about such a day in advance so that the hostesses could paint the eggs. They dyed them in a decoction of onion peels. Depending on how much husk was placed, the color of the eggs could be from golden yellow to dark brown. In a decoction of birch leaves, the eggs received different shades of green. In addition, they baked special balls of dough - baursak - or small buns, pretzels, bought sweets. Children looked forward to this day with special impatience. Mothers made special bags for collecting eggs from the red ends of towels. Often, children went to bed dressed, shod so as not to waste time dressing in the morning, a log was placed under the pillow so as not to oversleep. Early in the morning, barely light, boys and girls aged three to ten began to walk around the houses. Entering the house, the child said: "May my leg be light (this is a wish for well-being in the coming year!), May there be many chickens and chickens." If the baby could not (did not have time) to say this, the hostess came to the rescue. As she spoke these words, she sat him on the pillow and watched. If the child sat quietly, did not fetch, then the hen will bring out the chickens, if on the contrary, then there will be many roosters. Having received a treat, thanking the owners, the kid hurried to another house. Thus, the tour lasted two hours.
What is Sabantui?
Like the neighboring peoples - Mordovians, Mari, Udmurts, Chuvashs, Russians, Tatars, for the most part, were rural residents and were engaged in agriculture, various crafts, and raised livestock. Therefore, their folk holidays were associated with the cycle of agricultural work. Especially expected was spring, which delighted with its warmth, blossoming greenery. And this is a special time. “The spring day feeds the year,” says folk wisdom. Such a time was greeted with a holiday that was called “Saban tuye” - “the wedding of the plow”, and possibly “wedding (celebration) of the spring”, because the word “Saban” means both, but “tui” is “wedding ”,“ Celebration ”.
Sash wrestling
The spectators were located in a circle in several tiers: the front ones sat on the ground, the back ones looked while standing. Boys of five or six years old began to fight. sometimes two old men. Then older boys, young men and middle-aged men wrestled in turn. The audience greeted every successful reception with friendly exclamations of approval. The one who managed to put his opponent on the shoulder blades received a gift. The fight lasted until one of the wrestlers admitted himself defeated. After several successful fights, the winner became a contender for the title of the strongest wrestler - batyr. There were several such applicants; their struggle among themselves became the culmination of the competition. Batyr, as well as the winner of the races, received one of the best prizes of the holiday.
The main, most beloved and most popular type of competition in Sabantui is still the national sash wrestling. A towel is used as a sash. Each wrestler wraps his towel around the opponent's waist and thus wrestles, trying to put him on his shoulder blades.
In some areas it was led by young men on foot, in others by young men on horseback, in still others by elderly men. Everywhere the most valuable gift was considered to be a towel, which was received from every young woman who married after the previous Sabantui. They specially prepared for these purposes the best, richly ornamented towel from their dowry.
Sabantuy holiday
The place of the competition, and sometimes the competition itself, was called “maidan”. Traditionally, they included horse races, running, long and high jumps, and the national koresh wrestling. All kinds of competitions were attended by all comers - boys, youths, men. Girls, women only watched from the side. The competitions were held according to the established schedule for centuries. They started their races. Participation in them was considered prestigious, so everyone who could put their horses to the village races. The riders were boys 8-12 years old. The participants of the races, having gathered together, went to the starting point, located 5-8 km from the village. They were accompanied by one of the leaders of the competition. At his signal, the horsemen started along the field road towards the village, to the finish line, where the participants of the holiday were waiting for them. The winner was presented with one of the best towels. Riders and horse owners received separate prizes.
Sabantuy is celebrated in many cities of Russia where Tatars live, for example, in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, in a number of cities in the industrial Urals, Siberia, the Far North, etc.
While the riders went to the starting point, other competitions were held, in particular running. The participants were categorized by age: boys, adult men, old people. The principle of organizing the competitions was the same as for the races: the start was arranged at a distance, and the finish was on the Maidan. After the end of the competition, people went home to treat themselves to festive meals. A few days later, depending on the weather, they began sowing spring crops. Sabantuy remains to this day the most beloved mass holiday. Almost everywhere, it follows the same pattern. In cities it is a one-day holiday, and in rural areas it consists of two parts: collecting gifts and Maidan. In addition, in rural areas this is the time for receiving guests, meeting relatives and close friends, since now Sabantuy is celebrated in the summer, after the completion of spring field work.
Fight with bags
Various kinds of comic contests during the Sabantui celebration were widespread. There are quite a few of them. This is a run with a spoon in your mouth with an egg laid on it; running with buckets on a yoke filled with water; running in bags; running in pairs, when the leg of one is tied to the leg of the other. A lot of laughter is caused by a fight with sacks filled with hay or straw, which is carried out while sitting on a log; or a contest during which you need to break a pot on the ground with a stick while blindfolded. Popular are tug-of-war, sticks, climbing on a high smooth pole, on top of which a prize is hung (sometimes a live rooster in a cage), etc. These competitions are the most massive, in many of them the female half of the audience actively participates.
Competitions of singers and dancers are held at the same time. Young people lead round dances, arrange dances. Anyone present, when he wishes, can join the competition that he likes, and relax, get a charge of cheerfulness and fun.
We hear the word “Sabantuy” and immediately imagine a sunny and warm summer day. Sabantuy is the most beloved holiday of the Tatar people, which is celebrated annually and cheerfully and widely. But not everyone, probably, knows how he appeared, and what the word "Sabantuy" means.
The name of the holiday comes from the Turkic words: "saban" and "tui". The word "tui" means a holiday. But the word "saban" has several meanings. Firstly, this word denotes an agricultural tool, a plow. And all other values \u200b\u200bindicate the time of plowing, arable land, the time of field work, spring crops. In recent years, Sabantuy is often called the plow festival. But this is not quite the correct name. It would be more accurate to say that this is a "holiday of spring sowing", "a holiday of spring crops". Since the entire course of the holiday shows that it is held in honor of the spring sowing. Our ancient ancestors, being pagans, made sacrifices to the deities of fertility and the spirits of the earth in order to appease them and ensure a rich harvest of bread.
The history of the origin of the holiday
In ancient times, when there was no official calendar and division into months and dates yet, people divided the year into seasons depending on specific agricultural work (preparation for sowing, spring field work, harvesting, etc.). This division of the seasons also existed among our ancestors. In addition, they often designated the seasons with the name of the main agricultural work performed during that period. For example, "urak oste", "pechen oste" (haymaking) meant summer time, the time of harvest; “Saban Oste” - spring, the time of the beginning of field work.
Previously, people believed that the spirit world could help a person in his daily affairs. They tried to appease them with various gifts and sacrifices. The whole life of the agricultural society depended on a good harvest. Therefore, ceremonies designed to maintain the fertility of the land and ensure a high yield were especially important for ancient farmers. These ceremonies were performed before each sowing of grain. Over time, they lost their original magical functions and acquired the character of a folk festival. Sabantuy is one of such holidays.
There are several versions about the origin of the Sabantuy holiday. Some scholars believe that Sabantui came to us from other peoples. So, the Mongols have a holiday similar to Sabantuy, which is called Naadam. The main competitions here are wrestling, horse racing and archery. However, the rules of folk games at the Mongolian holiday are different from ours. Other scholars suggest that Sabantuy appeared in the Volga Bulgaria itself. There are also versions linking Sabantuy with the traditions of Tengrism.
The main competition of Sabantuy - kuresh - also has an ancient history. Among the archaeological finds dating back to the III-I centuries. BC, images of paired wrestlers were found. In addition, wrestling is mentioned in some ancient Turkic literary works. It is known that the ancient Turks even had special compositions describing the rules of struggle.
Thus, Sabantuy is an ancient Turkic holiday that appeared when our ancestors just started farming, and only later it was finally formed and became a traditional folk holiday.
The objectives of the modern Sabantui are several: determination of batyrs - winners in the struggle, folk entertainment with national songs, dances and games, and most importantly - summing up the results of spring field work and rewarding the best farmers. Previously, Sabantuy was celebrated before the start of spring field work. And before the holiday, no one went out into the field, did not start sowing. And instead of the current Sabantuy, another holiday was celebrated - Djien.
Pre-holiday rituals
There was no exact date and specific day of the week for Sabantui. Everything depended on weather conditions, the intensity of snow melting and the degree of readiness of the soil for sowing spring crops. This usually happened at the end of April. On the eve of Sabantuy, a special ceremony "Karga botkasy" was held, which was considered the initial stage of the holiday.
The ceremony of celebrating Sabantui consisted of two parts. First, magic ceremonies were held, and then - competitions, games and mass entertainment. Preparations for Sabantuy began a few weeks before the holiday. As a rule, the elders of the villages - aksakals, having agreed among themselves, determined the date and place of the holiday. Usually, beautiful green meadows near rivers, lakes and forests were chosen as the place of celebration.
The ritual "seren salu" or "seren" occupied the main place among other preparatory rites. It is also called "selge zhyu", i.e. collecting gifts for winners of competitions and participants in folk games. The young men, riding around the village on decorated horses, shouted: “Arapé! Arapé!
Arapé! " Sometimes older men were involved in collecting gifts. Holding a wooden pole (pole) in their hands, they walked through the streets and collected gifts: embroidered scarves, towels and fabric cuts, etc. Together with gifts, eggs were collected for Sabantuy.
As we have already said, before Sabantuy, a sacrifice ceremony was performed, where a white horse, white duck or goose was sacrificed.
In addition, a certain area of \u200b\u200bthe field was selected, and on the day of Sabantui, its ceremonial plowing was carried out. Large chicken eggs were placed in the furrow, which were then collected by children with the wishes of a rich harvest. Probably, in ancient times, such was the rite of cult feeding of the spirits of the earth in the hope that from this the grains in the ears would be as large as eggs. It was this part of Sabantui that used to be the main, most important, and games and competitions only decorated and emphasized the importance of the holiday. However, all pagan rituals and sacrifices were forgotten over time, underwent changes, only folk games, competitions and amusements remained.
Competition
Over time, the competitions held on the Sabantuy holiday have changed. However, the main ones are still the national struggle - kuresh - and horse racing. Before the adoption of Islam, women could also participate in the struggle, they even defeated men. For example, in the XII century, the daughter of the emir of the Volga Bulgaria, Shamgun-Sain, defeated her husband-batyr during the struggle.
The main gift given to the strongest fighter is, as you know, a ram. But why a ram and not some other prize? Among the ancient Turks, the ram was a sacred animal. It was believed that he protects people from evil spirits, and some of the bones of the animal have magical powers. Therefore, the ancient Turks presented to the honored guests a boiled lamb head.
The competition began with horse races. Various equestrian games were widespread among all nomadic peoples. In between roaming, they selected the best horses and organized competitions in speed and agility. This not only helped to identify the most enduring and strongest animals, but it was also a good training for riders.
It is impossible to imagine the life of nomads without a horse. The horse was the closest helper, the breadwinner of a person, and during a battle a good horse could save his life. Our ancestors believed that deities, like people, ride horses. Therefore, the horses themselves were also considered sacred animals.
The preparation of the horses for the upcoming races began with the so-called warming up ("at ayagy kyzdyru"). As soon as the snow melted and the roads dried up, in the evenings the young men rode out on horseback and arranged a kind of races. This went on for several days. Thus, they trained the horses, prepared them for the main competitions.
Catch up with the girl ("Kyz kuu")
Another of the traditional equestrian competitions of Sabantuy is "Kyz kuu".
The girl, like a bird, rushes on a fast horse, and the horseman must catch up and catch her like a golden eagle. And having caught, take the handkerchief from the girl's hands and kiss her on the cheek. If the guy did not catch up with the girl in the allotted time, on the way back she could laugh at him and try to knock the cap off his head with a quill. This was considered a great shame for the horseman.
All competitions held in Sabantui certainly meant and symbolized something. For example, archery is not just training for future warriors and hunters. In the distant past, the ability to shoot from a bow signified the achievement of young men of majority. The bow also symbolized the first rays of the sun.
Holidays associated with agriculture are held among other peoples. For example, the Udmurts celebrate "Tulys Gera". This holiday is also held before spring fieldwork. The Mari have "Agavayrem", "Agapayrem" or "Peledysh Payrem", which is carried out after the spring field work. The Chuvash Akatui is closest to Sabantuy. The word "akatui" literally translates as "seed wedding". The Chuvash had two names for this holiday - Akatui and Sabantuy - which had a similar meaning. Since ancient times, the Chuvash gathered on this day in order to congratulate each other, to join the common round dance and sing their favorite songs, to swim in the river. Men organized sports: belt wrestling, running, horse racing.
Children also tried their hand at various games: pole-climbing, sacking, tug-of-war.
So, you learned that Sabantuy, which the nomads began to celebrate, then turned into a holiday of farmers, and it has come down to us as just a fun folk festivities. This is one of the national holidays, which, undergoing changes, changing along with time and people, has come down from ancient times to the present day.
M. Khabibullin. Excerpt from the novel "Kubrat Khan"
Then the time has come for kyzkuyshtuy - a holiday of choice. Ulug Khan, having awarded the winners of the competition, returned to the guests of honor, and the place on the Maidan was taken by khansha Appak. Now she played the main role. She was sitting in a place of honor, at her feet were folded gifts for those who will become husband and wife today. The ancient custom of the Bulgars was simple: a line was drawn at the seashore and a girl stood on it, a young man stood on the same line about thirty meters away, and if he caught up with the one that he wanted to call his wife, before she reached the sea, by will Tangra they became a couple. And if not…
A girl fell off the red ribbon and, if she did not want to get to any batyr, she managed to run to the water and soak her feet. And then she had the right once again - as many times as she wanted - to stand on the tape again, until the one to whom she agreed to be a wife caught up with her. And the batyr, who did not catch up with his chosen one, lost the right to a wife for a whole year, and another brave man had to think hard, unless the one with whom he risked to go to the tape smiled at him in advance: at an arrow's flight distance it is difficult to catch up with the one that doesn't want to be caught up. 
And then the first pair came out ... Hansha waved her handkerchief - the girl rushed like a whirlwind to the strip of water. The batyr jumped out of his place even faster ... “He will catch up! - shouted in the crowd. - Hey, add, don't be lazy! " “Will not catch up! - shouted others. “He doesn’t run after his bride, sit at home…” A few steps before the water, the girl looked back… you could say: if she didn’t look back, the batyr would not have caught up with her. And then a leg turned up, a girl stumbled - and, limping, before running? True, when the strong man led her by the hand to the place where the wife of Kubrat Khan Appak was waiting for this couple, smiling, the girl did not look too upset, but the batyr was smiling with might and main. Approaching the khansha, they bowed their heads to each other ... Appak gave them generous gifts and wished them a long life and many children.
And the next pair came out on the tape. And here everything almost ended sadly - at the very edge of the water, at the very last moment, the batyr caught up with his chosen one. But the third did not catch up. A little bit, one step remained for him to take, but just this step was not enough for him, and, hanging his head, without looking at anyone, the loser wandered along the sea and walked so nowhere until he disappeared from sight.
Every year across the country and even abroad, in June, the Tatars organize their national holiday - Sabantuy .
Sabantuy Is a colorful show in which everyone can find something to do with their interests. During the holiday, various competitions are organized: running in sacks, tug-of-war, sports such as chess and volleyball.
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The main competitionSabantuya - this is the identification of the most powerful person of the holiday in the Tatar national struggle - koresh ... The winner receives a ram as a reward, which he must lift on his shoulder and make a circle of honor with him across the square Sabantuya – Maidan .
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When did the tradition of celebrating a holiday arose Sabantuy ?
“According to some studies, this ancient holiday has a thousand-year history. So back in 921 he was described in his works by the famous researcher Ibn Fadlan, who arrived in the Bulgars as an ambassador from Baghdad. Also in the Alkeevsky region of Tatarstan, scientists discovered a tombstone, the inscription on which said that the deceased died in 1120 on the day of Sabantuy.
Previously, Sabantuy was celebrated in honor of the beginning of spring field work (at the end of April), but now - in honor of their end (in June).
The origins of the celebration of Sabantui go back to antiquity and are associated with the agrarian cult. This is evidenced by its name: saban means "spring", or in another sense - "plow", and tui - "wedding", "celebration". Thus, the meaning of the word sabantuy is a celebration in honor of the sowing of spring crops.
The original purpose of the rite was apparently to placate the fertile spirits in order to promote a good harvest in the new year.
With the change in the economic way of life, magic rituals lost their meaning, but many of them continued to exist as folk amusements and holidays. So it happened with Sabantui.
In the 19th century, Sabantuy was already just a fun folk holiday, which marked the beginning of very difficult, laborious agricultural work. Survival rites have survived only in some places, indicating the initial connection of Sabantui with magic.
Studies in recent years show that sabantuy consisted of an alternation of rituals that were performed in early spring - from the first melting of snow to the beginning of sowing. This holiday took place in most of the villages of the Kazan Tatars andtatar-Kryashen (baptized Tatars). In the villages of the Tatar-Mishars (Nizhny Novgorod Tatars), Sabantuy was not performed, although some spring rituals included in it were also found there (children collecting colored eggs, playing with eggs, etc.). Local differences were observed in its conduct, caused by the presence or absence of individual rituals.
Similar to Sabantuyu ChuvashAkatui, Bashkir Habantui and Udmurt Gerber”.
Sabantuy (translated from the Tatar "wedding / holiday of the plow") is an ancient rite of the Turkic peoples. Traditionally, it was carried out before the start of sowing operations. At present, it marks their end with a cheerful celebration, in which national and dances, comic competitions and sports competitions do not cease. The Tatar people managed not only to preserve, but also to enrich this beautiful tradition, therefore Sabantuy is included in the list of masterpieces of the cultural heritage of UNESCO.
Origins
The Sabantuy holiday has more than a thousand-year history. Back in 921, the famous researcher Ibn Fadlan, an ambassador from Baghdad who arrived in Bulgars, described it in his writings. In addition, a tombstone in one of the ancient cemeteries serves as a confirmation of the existence of this holiday in those days. It was discovered in the Alkeevsky district by local scientists. The inscription on the stone reads: "the deceased died in 1120 on the day of Sabantuy."
Since ancient times, the Tatars considered Sabantuy a big event and prepared for it in advance. The festive events were led by the elders, who established the order of the competitions. To this day, not only in Kazan, but throughout Russia and even abroad, the Tatars celebrate the plow holiday noisily and cheerfully.
The world-famous Tatar hospitality, national originality and the good spirit of Sabantui attract people of various nationalities and religions, uniting and bringing them closer together. Therefore, Sabantuy is celebrated with pleasure by all residents of the Republic, which is one of the most striking manifestations of continuity and respect for each culture. From year to year, Sabantuy is enriched with new content, but the main thing is always unchanged - it is a holiday of labor and friendship of peoples.