Tatar-Bashkir Cultural Center "TAN" of the Assembly of people of Kazakhstan in Astana held Tatar gatherings "Aulak oy" in the House of Friendship.
The event opened with a theatrical sketch showing the Tatar life and continuity of family traditions. The ancient national game "Ringlet" helps to identify young men's sympathies for girls. In addition, the players appoint joking orders – to sing, dance, paint an animal, a bird. In the course of the tests, girls and boys showed their outstanding creative abilities.
The auditorium turned into an ancient Tatar room with uryndyk – benches, covered with patchwork blankets. Embroidered old towels, curtains and embroidery were on the walls. The floor was covered with woven mats and paths. Tables were decorated with national dishes: cauldron, eyeglass, baursak, chak-chak, koymak, belesh, samsa.
The ensemble "Duslyk" in national costumes sang ancient Tatar folk songs, ditties, which were interspersed with ancient Tatar games "Yozek salysh", "Bez-bez idek", "Tukmak eilenderu". In each game the loser was given some task - to sing a song, to dance, to guess a riddle, to remember a proverb, a saying.
Old melodies on accordions were played by Damir Sultanov. The youth ensemble "Yalkyn" sang fervent Tatar dances and folklore songs.
The purpose of this holiday was to introduce the audience to the elements of national rites and holidays, to revive and preserve the customs of Tatar people, which should be passed down from generation to generation.
From traditions:
A special form of organizing the leisure time of young Tatars was a visit to the Aulak oi – it is a house that was left for some time in the care of a young girl. Parents trusted their daughter to keep order in the household when they went to visit her. An elderly woman relative was charged with the care of the girl and the owners' house. Girls and boys came to Aulak oi. Parents let them go under a condition to do some work (weave lace, tie socks, spin yarns, weave paws or cut out of wood). In the course of the work, it was possible to interrupt and have fun: play games, sing songs, dance and solve riddles. Everyone brought presents (kuchtanach) to the party.
